A♭ major guitar chord (Ab)

How to play Ab

Finger numbers run 1 for the index to 4 for the little finger. String names are given as players say them — the low E is the thickest string (the 6th) and the high E is the thinnest (the 1st).

1. 1st finger (index) — lies flat across the 4th fret, covering all six strings
2. 2nd finger (middle) — 5th fret, G string
3. 3rd finger (ring) — 6th fret, A string
4. 4th finger (little) — 6th fret, D string

• Strum all six strings. Nothing is muted in this shape, so the chord should ring from the low E right through to the high E.
• Barre: 4th fret, strings 6 down to 1. Place the other fingers first and add the barre last.

Notes and intervals in Ab

Ab is built from 3 notes: A♭, C and E♭.

• A♭ — the root (R)
• C — the major 3rd (3)
• E♭ — the perfect 5th (5)

Across the six strings the shape sounds A♭ · E♭ · A♭ · C · E♭ · A♭ from low to high, so some notes are doubled in different octaves — that is what gives an open guitar chord its width compared with the same chord on a keyboard.

What Ab is used for

A♭ is the IV in E♭ and the ♭VI that rock songs in C borrow for a big, dark lift. Barre the E-major shape at the 4th fret; the frets are narrower there than at F, which makes it a good place to practice the full barre.

Common mistakes with Ab

• Barring with the soft crease of the index finger. Roll it onto its bony outside edge so the G, B and high E strings sound clean.
• The thumb hooked over the neck. Put it behind the neck, roughly opposite the middle finger, so the hand squeezes instead of the arm pulling.
• A collapsing ring or little finger. Arch them so they do not lean on the G string, which is the one note the index barre does not cover in this shape.

Chords that go with Ab

Same-root variations first, then the chords of the same key — a fourth and a fifth away, and the relative minor — the shapes Ab is most often played alongside.

• D♭ major
• E♭ major
• F minor