As a harmonic-minor tonicA♭ minor
The raised seventh inside the tonic is what lets E♭7 work as a real dominant in a minor key.
A♭m(maj7) Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♭m(maj7) chord is a minor major seventh chord built on the root note A♭. Its notes are A♭, C♭, E♭ and G. It's enharmonically the same chord as G♯m(maj7).
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- Notes
- A♭ · C♭ · E♭ · G
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 11
- Note
- A♭
- Quality
- Minor Major 7
- Symbol
- A♭m(maj7)
A♭m(maj7) on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♭m(maj7) on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A♭, index finger on C♭, middle finger on E♭ and little finger on G. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♭ and E♭ are black keys and C♭ and G are white. C♭ is the key you'd normally call B. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A♭1
- C♭♭3
- E♭5
- G7
A♭m(maj7) on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♭m(maj7) is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Strings 3 and 2 ring open.
A♭ · C♭ · E♭ · G
Play A♭m(maj7) on the online piano
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A♭m(maj7) chord notes
Also known as G♯m(maj7)
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♭(Ab) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E♭(Eb) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | G |
How to use the A♭m(maj7) chord
The A♭m(maj7) chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major seventh. Start at the root A♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A♭, C♭, E♭ and G. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor major seventh chords appear in line cliches, where the top voice of a minor chord walks down from the root through the major seventh. James Bond themes, bossa nova and minor-key jazz ballads are where you meet them.
How A♭m(maj7) differs from similar chords
A♭m(maj7) combines the minor third of A♭m with the major seventh of A♭maj7. Its seventh sits a half step higher than in A♭m7, right under the root, and that is where its tense, cinematic edge comes from. It usually passes by in a line cliché between A♭m and A♭m7.
Where A♭m(maj7) is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♭m(maj7) chord?
- The A♭m(maj7) chord contains A♭, C♭, E♭ and G (Ab, Cb, Eb and G in plain text).
- Is the A♭m(maj7) chord major or minor?
- A♭m(maj7) is a minor major seventh chord. Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- How do you play A♭m(maj7) on piano?
- Place your fingers on A♭, C♭, E♭ and G and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard A♭ and E♭ are black keys and C♭ and G are white. C♭ is the key you'd normally call B. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play A♭m(maj7) on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Strings 3 and 2 ring open.
- What is another name for the A♭m(maj7) chord?
- A♭m(maj7) is enharmonically equivalent to G♯m(maj7). Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.