Abm7 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.
Abm7 is built from Ab, Cb, Eb and Gb. Ab is the root, Cb the minor third, Eb the fifth and Gb the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are A flat, C flat, E flat and G flat.
From the low string to the high one you hear Ab, Eb, Gb, Cb, Eb and Ab. Ab rings twice across the six strings, and it is the root. The lowest and highest notes are both Ab, two octaves apart, on strings 6 and 1.
You play Abm7 with a barre at fret 4. Everything fits between frets 4 and 6. Besides the main one there are two more shapes, at frets 4 and 11.
Ab7 is one change away. String 3 moves from fret 4 to fret 5, bringing in C, the major third of Ab7. It shares two notes with Ebm, Eb and Gb. Going to Abm, five positions stay the same. It can also be written G#m7, and it sounds the same.
Abm7 belongs to five keys. In B major it is the vi, in Gb major the ii and in E major the iii. The rest appear in the key list.
Ab 1Cb ♭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.
Placement tip: Barre fret 11. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 13, 2nd String (B) at fret 12. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Press: 6th String (Low E) at fret 4 with your Index finger, 4th String (D) at fret 4 with your Middle finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 4 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 4 with your Pinky finger. Don't play: 5th String (A), 1st String (High E).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 4 to 6 |
| Barre | fret 4, from the 6th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 2 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | none |
At fret 4, only the barre sounds the 6th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings.
Listen: Abm7 → Abm · B · Dbm
Abm7 sits in the scale of 5 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Abm7 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 Abm7 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 Abm7 chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7 formula (Minor Seventh). Its constituent pitches are Ab, Cb, Eb, Gb.
To prevent fret buzz on the Abm7 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.
Thanks for studying with CifraLab
If this chord helped you, support us with a coffee on Ko-fi.
