Chords in the Key of A♭ (4 flats)
A♭ is four flats of gospel and soul. Piano players reach for it, guitarists barre through it or capo 1 with G shapes. The vi chord, Fm, does a lot of the emotional work.
The seven chords
| Degree | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| I | A♭ | major |
| ii | B♭m | minor |
| iii | Cm | minor |
| IV | D♭ | major |
| V | E♭ | major |
| vi | Fm | minor |
| vii° | G dim | diminished |
A♭, D♭, and E♭ are the majors, B♭m, Cm, and Fm the minors, and G diminished gets skipped by most guitar arrangements. Plenty of songs in A♭ never leave A♭, D♭, E♭, and Fm.
Common progressions
A♭, D♭, E♭. The I, IV, V, and the whole three-chord songbook with it.
A♭, E♭, Fm, D♭. The four-chord pop axis. Several decades of hits use exactly this.
B♭m7, E♭7, A♭. The ii V I turnaround, jazz and country both.
Scales to solo with
A♭ major pentatonic is the lead scale for the major-key sound. F minor pentatonic is the same five notes from the relative minor side.
Keep exploring
Relative minor
Parallel minor
Neighbor keys, one accidental away
Key of A♭ FAQ
What chords are in the key of A♭?
A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm, and G diminished. The I, IV, and V are A♭, D♭, and E♭, and the relative minor is Fm.
What is the relative minor of A♭ major?
F minor. Same key signature, same seven chords, with Fm treated as home.
How many sharps or flats does the key of A♭ have?
4 flats, B♭.