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A♭ Major Guitar Chord (A♭)

A♭ is a piano key. Four flats, all over gospel and soul. On guitar there's no open shape. The E-shape barre at the fourth fret (466544) does the work.

A♭ keeps capers by the piano.

A♭ chord shapes in standard tuning

open string × muted / not played 1–4 suggested finger 3fr shape starts at fret 3 R · 3 · 5 · ♭7 chord tone each string sounds
A♭ guitar chord diagram, Barre · 4fr, frets 4-6-6-5-4-44fr1R354R235R
Barre · 4fr
4-6-6-5-4-4
A♭ guitar chord diagram, Barre · 1fr, frets 4-3-1-1-1-43R2315R34R
Barre · 1fr
4-3-1-1-1-4
A♭ guitar chord diagram, 6fr, frets x-x-6-8-9-86fr××1R254R33
6fr
x-x-6-8-9-8
A♭ guitar chord diagram, Barre · 8fr, frets x-11-10-8-9-88fr×4R33152R3
Barre · 8fr
x-11-10-8-9-8

How to play it

Lay your index finger flat across all six strings at fret 4. That barre is the backbone of this A♭ shape. Then add your middle finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 5, your ring finger on the A (5th) string at fret 6, and your pinky finger on the D (4th) string at fret 6. Strum all six strings.

Notes in this chord

SymbolIntervalNote
RrootA♭
3major thirdC
5perfect fifthE♭

A♭ FAQ

What notes are in A♭?
A♭ contains A♭, C, and E♭. That's the root (A♭), the major third, and the perfect fifth.

Is A♭ a barre chord?
The most common A♭ shape (4-6-6-5-4-4) is a barre chord. Your index finger bars fret 4 across 6 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♭ on guitar?
Start with the barre · 4fr shape 4-6-6-5-4-4. Lay your index finger flat across all six strings at fret 4. That barre is the backbone of this A♭ shape. Then add your middle finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 5, your ring finger on the A (5th) string at fret 6, and your pinky finger on the D (4th) string at fret 6. Strum all six strings.