A♭ Dominant 7th Guitar Chord (A♭7)
A♭ dominant 7th is a four-note chord built from A♭ (the root), C (the major third), E♭ (the perfect fifth), and G♭ (the minor seventh). It is a major chord with an attitude: the ♭7 rubs against the major third and makes the whole chord lean forward, begging to resolve to the chord a fourth above. Below are 4 ways to play it in standard tuning, easiest shape first.
A♭7 chord shapes — standard tuning
How to play it
Lay your index finger flat across the top 4 strings (from the D (4th) string up) at fret 1 — that barre is the backbone of this A♭7 shape. Then add your middle finger on the high E (1st) string at fret 2, your ring finger on the A (5th) string at fret 3, and your pinky finger on the low E (6th) string at fret 4. Strum all six strings.
Once that shape is comfortable, try the other 3 voicings above — same notes, different neck positions and textures.
Notes in this chord
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | A♭ |
| 3 | major third | C |
| 5 | perfect fifth | E♭ |
| ♭7 | minor seventh | G♭ |
Keep exploring
Other tunings
Open the interactive chord charts to see A♭7 in open G, drop D, DADGAD, and more tunings.
More A♭ chords
Nearby dominant 7th chords
A♭7 FAQ
What notes are in A♭7?
A♭7 contains A♭, C, E♭, and G♭ — the root (A♭), the major third, the perfect fifth, and the minor seventh.
Is A♭7 a barre chord?
The most common A♭7 shape (4-3-1-1-1-2) is a barre chord — your index finger bars fret 1 across 4 strings. There is no standard open-position shape for this chord in standard tuning, but the diagrams above include every practical alternative up the neck.
What is the easiest way to play A♭7 on guitar?
Start with the barre · 1fr shape 4-3-1-1-1-2. Lay your index finger flat across the top 4 strings (from the D (4th) string up) at fret 1 — that barre is the backbone of this A♭7 shape. Then add your middle finger on the high E (1st) string at fret 2, your ring finger on the A (5th) string at fret 3, and your pinky finger on the low E (6th) string at fret 4. Strum all six strings.