Ab7 Chord on Guitar (A flat dominant seventh)
Ab7 is a dominant seventh chord with a bluesy and restless, it wants to resolve sound. It contains the notes Ab – C – Eb – Gb (major chord + minor seventh). Below you will find 3 ways to play it on guitar.
How to play Ab7
Position 1: x 11 13 11 13 11
- low E: don't play
- A: fret 11
- D: fret 13
- G: fret 11
- B: fret 13
- high E: fret 11
Position 2: 4 6 4 5 4 4
- low E: fret 4
- A: fret 6
- D: fret 4
- G: fret 5
- B: fret 4
- high E: fret 4
Position 3: x x 6 8 7 8
- low E: don't play
- A: don't play
- D: fret 6
- G: fret 8
- B: fret 7
- high E: fret 8
This chord has no easy open shape, so it is usually played as a barre chord. Press the barre with the side of your index finger, keep your thumb behind the neck, and check each string one by one until all of them ring clearly.
Chord theory
A dominant seventh chord adds a minor seventh (10 half steps above the root) to a major chord. The tension between the third and the seventh makes the chord sound like it is about to move somewhere else.
Degrees: 1 = Ab, 3 = C, 5 = Eb, ♭7 = Gb
Using Ab7 in songs
The dominant seventh usually sits on the 5th degree of a key and pulls strongly back to the tonic (for example G7 to C). It is also the main chord type in blues, where all three chords are often played as sevenths.