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Chords in the key of A♭ Major

The seven chords of A♭ Major and the 7th chord on each, with the key signature and the keys closest to it.

Short answer

The key of A♭ Major contains seven diatonic chords: A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm, G°. They're built on each degree of the A♭ Major scale.

Tonic
A♭
Key signature
4 flats
Scale
A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G
Relative key
F Natural Minor
Dominant
E♭
Parallel key
A♭ Natural Minor

Diatonic chords in A♭ Major

Build a triad on each note of the A♭ Major scale and you get these seven chords. Add one more scale note on top and you get the 7th chord beside it.

DegreeTriad7th chordHear
IA♭A♭maj7
iiB♭mB♭m7
iiiCmCm7
IVD♭D♭maj7
VE♭E♭7
viFmFm7
vii°G°Gm7♭5

Key signature of A♭ Major

A♭ Major has 4 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭. The signature at the start of each staff line makes those notes flat all the way through, unless an accidental says otherwise.

Practise reading key signatures

A♭ Major on the piano

Show:
A♭ Major on the pianoCFGCFGD♭E♭A♭B♭D♭E♭A♭B♭A♭ Major - A♭ · B♭ · C · D♭ · E♭ · F · G

Common progressions in A♭ Major

The most popular chord progressions written in this key. Click any progression to hear it.

I–V–vi–IV in A♭ major
A♭E♭FmD♭
I–IV–V in A♭ major
A♭D♭E♭
ii–V–I in A♭ major
B♭m7E♭7A♭maj7
I–vi–IV–V in A♭ major
A♭FmD♭E♭
I–IV–V–I in A♭ major
A♭D♭E♭A♭
I7–IV7–I7–V7 in A♭ major
A♭7D♭7A♭7E♭7
vi–IV–I–V in A♭ major
FmD♭A♭E♭
I7–I7–I7–I7–IV7–IV7–I7–I7–V7–IV7–I7–V7 in A♭ major
A♭7A♭7A♭7A♭7D♭7D♭7A♭7A♭7E♭7D♭7A♭7E♭7

Related keys

The keys a song in A♭ Major most often borrows chords from or moves to.

CGDAEBC♭F♯G♭D♭C♯A♭E♭B♭FAmEmBmF♯mC♯mG♯mA♭mD♯mE♭mB♭mA♯mFmCmGmDmMajorMinor
A♭ Major is lit, with its relative key and the keys a fifth either side.

Questions people ask

What chords are in the key of A♭ Major?
The key of A♭ Major contains seven diatonic chords: A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm, G°. They're built on each degree of the A♭ Major scale.
How many sharps or flats are in A♭ Major?
A♭ Major has 4 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭. The signature at the start of each staff line makes those notes flat all the way through, unless an accidental says otherwise.
What are the 7th chords in A♭ Major?
Adding a seventh to each chord of A♭ Major gives A♭maj7, B♭m7, Cm7, D♭maj7, E♭7, Fm7, Gm7♭5.
What is the relative key of A♭ Major?
It's F Natural Minor. It uses exactly the same notes and key signature as A♭ Major, but its music centres on F.
What are the most common progressions in A♭ Major?
Pop and rock songs in A♭ Major usually rely on I-V-vi-IV, I-IV-V and ii-V-I. Each appears in our progression library with audio.
Why do these chords sound good together?
Every chord in A♭ Major is built using only notes from the A♭ Major scale, so they share the same tonal center and naturally resolve to the I chord.
How do I transpose a song to A♭ Major?
Use our free Chord Transposer, paste the original chords and shift them to A♭ Major. The tool keeps the relationships between chords intact.

Related chords, scales and keys