A-flat Major 7th Chord

How to play the A-flat Major 7th Chord on the piano

Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the A-flat Major 7th Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.

The A-flat Major 7th Chord in root position

In root position, the notes of the A♭ major 7th chord are stacked in thirds with A♭ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.

A-flat Major 7th Chord in root position
Note Order	A♭ C E♭ G
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	A♭maj7

The A-flat Major 7th Chord in first inversion

In first inversion, the third of the chord (C) becomes the bottom note, and the root (A♭) jumps up to the top.

A-flat Major 7th Chord in 1^st inversion
Note Order	C E♭ G A♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 4 5
Chord Symbol	A♭maj^6/5 or A♭maj7/C

The A-flat Major 7th Chord in second inversion

In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (E♭) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (C) goes to the top.

A-flat Major 7th Chord in 2^nd inversion
Note Order	E♭ G A♭ C
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	A♭maj^4/3 or A♭maj7/E♭

The A-flat Major 7th Chord in third inversion

In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (G) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (E♭) goes to the top.

A-flat Major 7th Chord in 3^rd inversion
Note Order	G A♭ C E♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 4 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	A♭maj^4/2 or A♭maj7/G

A-flat Major 7th Chord theory and function

The major 7th adds the note a half step below the octave, which gives the chord a soft, open sound with a little friction in it. In Baroque and Classical music it appears as a passing seventh inside a sequence, and in Romantic and Impressionist music it is used as a color chord on the tonic and the subdominant.

The A♭ major 7th chord is the tonic (Imaj7) in A♭ major and the subdominant (IVmaj7) in E♭ major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (IIImaj7) in F minor and the submediant (VImaj7) in C minor. On the keyboard this is the same chord as G♯ major 7th, a spelling none of the common keys uses.

The cadence to recognize is ii7 – V7 – I. In A♭ major that is B♭m7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7, where the tonic is colored with its seventh. In a sequence the seventh leans down by step into the next chord, and in a color chord it is left hanging for a moment before the music moves on. Try playing A♭ and then A♭maj7 and listen to what the added note does.