Chords
Ab Lydian dominant seventh
Ab · C · Eb · Gb · D
Ab Lydian dominant seventh (Ab7#11) is a major chord of 5 notes: Ab · C · Eb · Gb · D.
Also written Ab7#4
Ab Lydian dominant seventh
Ab · C · Eb · Gb · D
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Ab3 · C4 · Eb4 · Gb4 · D5 | |
| Open (drop 2) | Gb3 · Ab3 · C4 · Eb4 · D5 | |
| Shell | Ab3 · C4 · Gb4 | |
| Rootless | Gb4 · Bb4 · D5 · F#5 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Ab Lydian dominant seventh (Ab7#11) contains the notes Ab · C · Eb · Gb · D, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of Ab Lydian dominant seventh puts a chord tone other than Ab in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales Ab Lydian dominant seventh belongs to.
In which keys
Ab Lydian dominant seventh is not diatonic to any major or minor key: at least one of its notes lies outside every one of them.
Scales that contain it
Ab Lydian dominant seventh fits inside these scales, each built on Ab.
- Ab Lydian DominantAb · Bb · C · D · Eb · F · Gb
- Ab Lydian MinorAb · Bb · C · D · Eb · Fb · Gb
- Ab Hungarian MajorAb · B · C · D · Eb · F · Gb
- Ab Messiaen's Mode #3Ab · Bb · Cb · C · D · Eb · Fb · Gb · G
Understanding the Ab Lydian dominant seventh chord
Names and symbols
Ab7#11 is the chord symbol for Ab Lydian dominant seventh; it is also written Ab7#4.
Common questions
- What notes are in the Ab Lydian dominant seventh chord?
- The Ab Lydian dominant seventh chord contains the notes Ab · C · Eb · Gb · D: the root Ab with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m, 11A stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally Ab, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the Ab Lydian dominant seventh chord?
- Measured from Ab, the Ab Lydian dominant seventh chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m, 11A. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the Ab Lydian dominant seventh chord?
- On guitar the most common Ab Lydian dominant seventh shape is 454544, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Ab3 · C4 · Eb4 · Gb4 · D5 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.