Chords
Ab Major
Ab · C · Eb
The major triad — a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. The most stable chord in Western music.
Also written AbM · Ab^ · Abmaj
Ab Major
Ab · C · Eb
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Ab3 · C4 · Eb4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Ab Major (Ab) contains the notes Ab · C · Eb, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built
Inversions
An inversion of Ab Major 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 Major belongs to.
In which keys
Ab Major is diatonic to 7 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Scales that contain it
Ab Major fits inside these scales, each built on Ab.
- Ab Major PentatonicAb · Bb · C · Eb · F
- Ab Major BluesAb · Bb · Cb · C · Eb · F
- Ab MajorAb · Bb · C · Db · Eb · F · G
- Ab LydianAb · Bb · C · D · Eb · F · G
- Ab MixolydianAb · Bb · C · Db · Eb · F · Gb
- Ab Lydian DominantAb · Bb · C · D · Eb · F · Gb
- Ab Harmonic MajorAb · Bb · C · Db · Eb · Fb · G
- Ab Ionian PentatonicAb · C · Db · Eb · G
Understanding the Ab Major chord
Names and symbols
Ab is the chord symbol for Ab Major; it is also written AbM, Ab^, Abmaj.
Ab Major and G# Major are the same sound spelled two ways; both have a page here, and each links to the other. G# Major
How it is built
On Ab the major triad is Ab · C · Eb, stacking the intervals 1P · 3M · 5P. The major third makes it sound bright; the perfect fifth makes it sound settled.
Change only the third and the chord turns minor. Everything the ear reads as "happy" or "sad" in a plain triad lives in that one note.
How it is used
It is the I chord of its own key and the tonic almost every progression eventually returns to. It also appears as the IV and V of its key, which is why three major triads are enough for a large share of folk, country and rock.
Inverted, it keeps its identity completely — Ab with the third or fifth in the bass is still Ab, just voiced to smooth the bass line.
Learn this properly
Chapter 10: Chords: Triads and SeventhsCommon questions
- What notes are in Ab?
- Ab contains Ab · C · Eb. Name any set of notes with the chord identifier.
- How do you build a major chord?
- Stack a major third and then a minor third above the root — or equivalently, take the first, third and fifth degrees of the major scale.
- What is the difference between Ab and a minor chord on the same root?
- One note. Lower the third by a semitone and the major triad becomes minor; nothing else changes.
- What notes are in the Ab Major chord?
- The Ab Major chord contains the notes Ab · C · Eb: the root Ab with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P 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 Major chord?
- Measured from Ab, the Ab Major chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P. 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.