Ab7 Ab dominant seventh chord
- Notes
- Ab C Eb Gb
- Formula
- 1 3 5 b7
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 10 above the root
- Also written
- G#7 (G# B# D# F#)
- Other symbols
- Abdom7
Ab to C is a major third (4 semitones), C to Eb is a minor third (3 semitones), Eb to Gb is a minor third (3 semitones). A dominant seventh is a major triad plus a minor seventh (Gb, 10 semitones above Ab). It is the V chord that leads back home, and the basic chord of the blues.
Ab7 on the piano
Root position from Ab4: Ab4, C5, Eb5, Gb5. Middle C is C4.
Ab7 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Ab as its lowest note.
4 6 4 5 4 4 (low E to high e)
Sounds Ab2 Eb3 Gb3 C4 Eb4 Ab4
x 11 13 11 13 11 (low E to high e)
Sounds Ab3 Eb4 Gb4 C5 Eb5
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play dominant seventh chords on other roots.
Ab7 on the ukulele
Standard ukulele tuning is G C E A, drawn with the G string on the left and frets downwards, as ukulele chord charts show it. The G string is tuned higher than the C string (G4 above middle C, a fifth over C4), so the lowest note you hear is usually on the C or E string, not on the G string, and a shape can sound as an inversion even when its root is on the G string. All four strings are strummed, so every string plays a chord tone; the root is in blue-green.
1323 (G C E A)
Sounds Ab4 Eb4 Gb4 C5
Lowest note Eb4, so the chord finder reads it as Ab7/Eb (second inversion).
5646 (G C E A)
Sounds C5 Gb4 Ab4 Eb5
Lowest note Gb4, so the chord finder reads it as Ab7/Gb (third inversion).
Inversions of Ab7
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | Ab C Eb Gb | Ab7 | |
| 1st inversion | C Eb Gb Ab | Ab7/C | |
| 2nd inversion | Eb Gb Ab C | Ab7/Eb | |
| 3rd inversion | Gb Ab C Eb | Ab7/Gb |
Where Ab7 fits
Ab7 is V7 in Db major, V7 in C# minor (where it is spelled G#7). Its C and Gb are a tritone apart (6 semitones). In Db major the C usually rises a half step to Db and the Gb falls a half step, which is why Ab7 pulls so strongly towards Db.