Piano chord
A♭7A flat dominant seventh
- A♭1
- C3
- E♭5
- G♭♭7
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 10semitones
- Fingers
- 1-3-4-5
How to play A♭7 on piano
- Find A♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on A♭, 3 on C, 4 on E♭, 5 on G♭.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on A♭, 3 on C, 2 on E♭, 1 on G♭.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭
1st inversion · C – E♭ – G♭ – A♭
2nd inversion · E♭ – G♭ – A♭ – C
3rd inversion · G♭ – A♭ – C – E♭
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
A♭7 inversions
Use these 4 positions to move between chords with as little hand movement as possible. Root position starts on A♭; the inversions start on the other notes of the chord.
- Root positionbass: A♭Right hand 1-3-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
- 1st inversionbass: CRight hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
- 2nd inversionbass: E♭Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 3rd inversionbass: G♭Right hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
Chords that go with A♭7
The other chords of D flat major, the key where A♭7 is home (V7). Songs in this key move between them.
A♭7 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays A♭ an octave lower, the right hand plays A♭–C–E♭–G♭.
A♭7 on other instruments
About the A♭7 chord
To build A flat dominant seventh, take these 4 notes from the root up: A♭ (1), C (3), E♭ (5), G♭ (♭7). A dominant seventh: a major triad with the flat seventh on top. It creates tension that wants to resolve, usually to the chord a fifth below.
The keys are A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭, counted up from A♭; the distance from the lowest to the highest key is 10 semitones. Any hand that reaches an octave can hold A♭7, so it works in either hand.
In the inversions of A♭7 the root moves up and another note takes the bass. In the 1st inversion the bass is C (C–E♭–G♭–A♭). In the 2nd inversion the bass is E♭ (E♭–G♭–A♭–C). In the 3rd inversion the bass is G♭ (G♭–A♭–C–E♭).
Compared with A♭, A♭7 has one more note, G♭.
You meet A♭7 in these keys: D flat major (V7), C sharp minor (V7), B flat minor (VII7).
Questions
What notes are in the A♭7 chord?
A♭7 (A flat dominant seventh) has 4 notes: A♭ (1), C (3), E♭ (5), G♭ (♭7).
How many inversions does A♭7 have?
A♭7 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (A♭–C–E♭–G♭); 1st inversion (C–E♭–G♭–A♭); 2nd inversion (E♭–G♭–A♭–C); 3rd inversion (G♭–A♭–C–E♭).
What is the difference between A♭7 and A♭?
Compared with A♭, A♭7 has one more note, G♭.
Can I play A♭7 with one hand?
Yes. In root position A♭7 spans 10 semitones, less than an octave, so one hand holds it easily.