Ab7 Piano Chord

Ab7 is the A flat dominant seventh chord. It has four notes: A flat, C, E flat and G flat. Three are black keys and the C is white.

1A♭2C3E♭5G♭C3C4

A♭ at the bottom, then C and E♭ and G♭. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The black keys are A♭ and E♭ and G♭.

How to play Ab7 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the A♭ below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): A♭
  3. Index finger (2): C
  4. Middle finger (3): E♭
  5. Little finger (5): G♭
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just A♭ on its own as a bass note.

This is A flat major with a black key added on top. The hand stays deep in the keyboard throughout, which makes it steadier than the shapes that mix depths.

Inversions of Ab7

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Ab7; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionC E♭ G♭ A♭
Ab7 piano chord diagram, first inversion, C E♭ G♭ A♭
Lighter than root position and less final. A third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionE♭ G♭ A♭ C
Ab7 piano chord diagram, second inversion, E♭ G♭ A♭ C
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.
Third inversionG♭ A♭ C E♭
Ab7 piano chord diagram, third inversion, G♭ A♭ C E♭
The most restless of the four. The seventh is the note that wants to move, and putting it underneath the whole chord makes that pull impossible to miss.

If it sounds wrong

The white note is in the wrong place
C is the only white key here, and it sits between the two groups of black keys. Find the groups and it places itself.
The top note is G natural
It has to be G flat, the black key to its left. G natural would give Abmaj7.
The little finger is weak
It is on a black key at the far end of the chord. Rather than pressing harder, let the hand lean outward so the weight arrives there.

What makes it an Ab7

A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭ 1 3 5 ♭7

Ab7 is an A flat major triad, A flat C E flat, with a G flat added: the flat seventh.

It is the V7 of D flat, and it appears often as a borrowed chord in the key of E flat, where it darkens the harmony before a return home.

Ab7 vs Ab

Ab7 is A flat major with a G flat on top. That one note turns a resting chord into one with somewhere to go.

A flat is a piano and horn key, so both chords belong to soul, gospel and jazz far more than to guitar music.

Questions about Ab7

Which notes are in an Ab7 chord on piano?

A flat, C, E flat and G flat. Only C is a white key.

What fingers do you use for Ab7?

Right hand: thumb on A flat, index on C, middle on E flat, little finger on G flat. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1.

Is Ab7 the same as G#7?

The same four keys and the same sound. Flat spelling is standard for this chord because it belongs to flat keys.

What is the difference between Ab7 and Abmaj7?

The top note. Ab7 has G flat and leans toward D flat; Abmaj7 has G natural and sits still.

Where is the Ab7 chord used?

As the V7 of D flat, and as a borrowed chord in E flat. Gospel and soul use it constantly.

Chords to learn next

Other Ab chords