Piano chord
A♭maj7A flat major seventh
- A♭1
- C3
- E♭5
- G7
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 11semitones
- Fingers
- 1-2-3-5
How to play A♭maj7 on piano
- Find A♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on A♭, 2 on C, 3 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♭maj7 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 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
- 1st inversionbass: CRight hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 2nd inversionbass: E♭Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
- 3rd inversionbass: GRight hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
Chords that go with A♭maj7
The other chords of A flat major, the key where A♭maj7 is home (Imaj7). Songs in this key move between them.
A♭maj7 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays A♭ an octave lower, the right hand plays A♭–C–E♭–G.
A♭maj7 on other instruments
About the A♭maj7 chord
To build A flat major seventh, take these 4 notes from the root up: A♭ (1), C (3), E♭ (5), G (7). A major seventh: a major triad with the natural seventh, one semitone below the octave. It sounds smooth and dreamy, common in jazz, soul and bossa nova.
On the keyboard, start from A♭ and add the other notes above it: A♭ – C – E♭ – G. From the lowest to the highest key that is 11 semitones. That is less than an octave, so A♭maj7 sits comfortably under one hand.
Each inversion of A♭maj7 puts a different note in 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♭maj7 has one more note, G.
Keys that contain A♭maj7: E flat major (IVmaj7), A flat major (Imaj7), C minor (VImaj7), F minor (IIImaj7).
Questions
What notes are in the A♭maj7 chord?
A♭maj7 (A flat major seventh) has 4 notes: A♭ (1), C (3), E♭ (5), G (7).
How many inversions does A♭maj7 have?
A♭maj7 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♭maj7 and A♭?
Compared with A♭, A♭maj7 has one more note, G.
Can I play A♭maj7 with one hand?
Yes. In root position A♭maj7 spans 11 semitones, less than an octave, so one hand holds it easily.