CifraLab

Pedagogical Analysis · Harmonic Circle

Pedagogy & Analysis of the Ab Major Circle

Ab — Fm — Bbm — Eb7

Meter4 / 4
Tempo85 BPM
CapoNo capo
StrummingAcoustic Pop #5
AbFmBbmEb7
Back to Ab SimulatorPractise this circle in the transposer

Written by CifraLab · 8 min read · 9 sections

Harmonic Circle and Tonal GravityOrbital diagram displaying fundamental bass gravity moving from tonic (I) to subdominant, dominant, and resolution.BASSFUNDAMENTALITONICviMINORiiPREPARATIONV7TRITONETONIC (I)TENSION (V7)RESOLUTION (I)
Fundamental bass gravity (I - vi - ii - V7) · CifraLab illustration

Listen to the whole journey

  1. Ab
  2. Fm
  3. Bbm
  4. Eb7
  5. Ab
Tap the button and follow the chords, then read each phase knowing how it sounds.

How the tension moves

1

Phase 1 • Diatonic Tonic

The Home (Tonic — Degree I)

Ab

Tonal rest function (Riemann, 1893): Acts as the acoustic gravitational center and tonal anchor. All notes of the diatonic scale find stability in this chord. Playing Ab establishes the consonant foundation of the key — generating neither tension nor urgency of movement.

Listen

  1. Ab
It sounds calm, like a starting point that doesn't ask to go anywhere.
View fingering and notes for Ab
2

Phase 2 • Subdominant and Relative

The Landscape (Subdominant — Degrees vi and ii)

Fm

Diatonic voice leading (Schoenberg, 1911): Transitioning to Fm introduces the first harmonic departure from the tonic. By sharing common tones with the opening chord, voice leading across the neck remains smooth and organic. It provides a warm, introspective minor texture before driving the progression toward the dominant.

Listen

  1. Ab
  2. Fm
From Ab to Fm the color changes, but it remains calm because they share notes.
View fingering and notes for Fm
3

Phase 3 • Dominant with Tritone

The Adventure (Dominant — Degree V7)

Bbm → Eb7

Instability and harmonic pull (Rameau, 1722): The dominant chord Eb7 harbors the leading tone and the diatonic tritone interval. This internal dissonance produces the peak acoustic tension of the progression, and the ear waits for the return home.

Listen

  1. Bbm
  2. Eb7
It stops on Eb7 on purpose. Notice how it hangs in the air, asking to come back.
View fingering and notes for Eb7
4

Phase 4 • Authentic Cadence

The Return (Cadential Resolution)

Ab

Release and resolution of tension: The descending fifth bass movement (Eb7 to Ab) instantly dissolves all accumulated harmonic tension. The tritone resolves contrary-motion into the third and root of Ab, completing the cycle with total acoustic balance.

Listen

  1. Eb7
  2. Ab
Now, Eb7 returns to Ab and the tension is suddenly released.
View fingering and notes for Ab

Check it with your ear

Two short questions to solidify what you've just read. There's no grade or record, so if you get it wrong, you can listen again and try again.

Which chord creates the tension that asks to return to Ab?

Listen to both endings. Which one sounds finished?

Try it on your guitar

Play and stay there for four beats without moving. Then play . That relief you feel is the resolution this lesson talks about. Repeat it three times and then try the whole circle at 85 BPM.

Inside the key of Ab major

Ab major is built from Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F and G. It has four flats, Ab, Bb, Db and Eb.

F minor uses the same seven notes, which makes it the relative minor. Compared with Db major, only one note changes, G becomes Gb. Compared with Eb major, only one note changes, Db becomes D.

In Eb7, the third G and the seventh Db sit six semitones apart, a tritone. In the guitar shape of Eb7, G sounds on string 2, fret 8 and Db on string 3, fret 6.

With a capo it also works with other shapes. You can play it with the G shape and the capo at fret 1 or with the E shape and the capo at fret 4 or with the D shape and the capo at fret 6.

Theoretical Foundations

All sources

Hear and practise this circle in context

The bass line and the tonal centre

Play Ab alone, then play the four chords in order: Ab – Fm – Bbm – Eb7.

Tonic, preparation and dominant

Apply that map to Ab – Fm – Bbm – Eb7 rather than assuming that the same chord must play the same role in every song. Name the starting chord Ab aloud; then pause after Fm and ask which note you still hear as home. Repeat after Bbm and after Eb7.

When the dominant contains a tritone

In this circle, Eb7 is a dominant seventh chord: the “7” in its symbol marks the added seventh. Its third and seventh form a tritone, an interval of three whole tones that creates tension toward Ab. Play Eb7 → Ab below and follow those two inner voices: the third rises by a semitone toward the tonic, while the seventh descends by step to a note in the tonic chord.

Listen

  1. Eb7
  2. Ab
Now, Eb7 returns to Ab and the tension is suddenly released.

Common tones and economical fingering

Move from Ab to Fm slowly and listen for a pitch that can remain still; if there is none, listen for voices that move by the smallest intervals. Repeat with Fm to Bbm, Bbm to Eb7, and the return to Ab.

A measured practice routine

First play Ab – Fm – Bbm – Eb7 with one downstroke at the beginning of each measure.

Transpose without changing the functions

Compare the two versions by singing the first note of Ab and then the first note of its counterpart in the new key.