A♭maj7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♭maj7 chord is a 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♯maj7.
Major seventh chords are lush, open and slightly jazzy. Stacking a major third on top of a major triad gives them a dreamy colour often heard in bossa nova, soul and modern R&B.
A♭maj7 on piano
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♭maj7 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on A♭, then index, middle and little finger on C, E♭ and G. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
A♭maj7 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♭maj7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
Play the chord
A♭maj7 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♭(Ab) |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | C |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E♭(Eb) |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | G |
How to use the A♭maj7 chord
The A♭maj7 chord is built from a root, a major 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.
Major seventh chords colour jazz standards, bossa nova, soul and modern pop. They most often serve as Imaj7 or IVmaj7 in a major key to add warmth without changing the function.
Famous Songs in A♭maj7
These well-known tracks all feature the A♭maj7 chord - a great way to put it in musical context.
- 1When I Fall in LoveNat King Cole
- 2MistyErroll Garner
- 3The Shadow of Your SmileStandard
- 4What Are You Doing the Rest of Your LifeStandard
- 5Darn That DreamStandard
Common progressions
The A♭maj7 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.
Related chords to A♭maj7
Once A♭maj7 feels comfortable, the chords below open up new progressions. Each one shares notes, keys or a harmonic function with it, which is what makes it the natural place to go next.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A♭maj7 chord?
Is the A♭maj7 chord major or minor?
How do you play A♭maj7 on piano?
How do you play A♭maj7 on guitar?
What is another name for the A♭maj7 chord?
Keep exploring
Deepen your understanding of the A♭maj7 chord with our other music theory tools.