Ab7 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - m - i - m · Alternating Folk (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The 1st string repeats the G# of the 6th. This pattern leaves it out. All 6 arpeggios
Alternating picking with steady pulse.
Play Ab7 one string at a time and you hear Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Ab is the root, C the major third, Eb the fifth and Gb the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are A flat, C, E flat and G flat.
String by string, low to high, it plays Ab, Eb, Gb, C, Eb and Ab. The root, Ab, shows up twice in the main shape. The lowest and highest notes are both Ab, two octaves apart, on strings 6 and 1.
You play Ab7 with a barre at fret 4. Your hand covers three frets, from 4 to 6. This page has three positions. The others start at frets 6 and 11.
Change only string 4 in Ab7 and you have Ab. Ab7 and Fm have Ab and C in common. B shares two positions with this shape. G#7 is the same chord under another name.
Ab7 shows up in two keys. In Db major it is the V7 and in Db minor the V7.
Ab 1C 3Eb 5Gb ♭7
Root Bass (Fundamental String)6th String (Low E) • Fret 4 (Ab)
String Control (Muted & Active)6 / 6 • Active and muted strings status indicator
Placement tip: Barre fret 4. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 6, 3rd String (G) at fret 5.
Placement tip: Barre fret 11. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 13, 2nd String (B) at fret 13. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Press: 4th String (D) at fret 6 with your Index finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 8 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 7 with your Middle finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 8 with your Pinky finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 5th String (A).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 4 to 6 |
| Barre | fret 4, from the 6th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 3 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | none |
At fret 4, only the barre sounds the 6th, 4th, 2nd, and 1st strings.
Listen: Ab7 → Ab · B · Db
Ab7 sits in the scale of 2 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Ab7 chord on guitar, all 6 strings are played from the 6th string (Low E) to the 1st string (High E). Arch your finger joints perpendicular to the fretboard so adjacent strings ring clearly.
The primary bass note of the Ab7 chord is its root note: Ab. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 6 at fret 4.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Ab7 chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 formula (Dominant Seventh). Its constituent pitches are Ab, C, Eb, Gb.
To prevent fret buzz on the Ab7 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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