About the A♭maj7 chord
The major seventh adds the natural seventh to a major chord. It sounds soft and dreamy, and turns up constantly in jazz, bossa nova, soul and ballads. The symbol for it is A♭maj7. (also written G♯maj7)
How to play A♭maj7
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 4 strings at fret 1, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the A string at fret 3.
- Put your ring finger on the high E string at fret 3.
- Put your little finger on the low E string at fret 4.
- Strum all six strings.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of A♭ major
These are the chords built on each note of the A♭ major scale, so they all sound good together with A♭maj7. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other A♭ chords
A♭maj7 chord questions
What notes are in a A♭maj7 chord?
A♭maj7 is made of A♭, C, E♭ and G. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, 7 above the root, A♭.
What is the easiest way to play A♭maj7?
The first shape above is the most common one: 4 3 1 1 1 3 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. It uses a barre, so if that is hard at first, try one of the other shapes.
Is A♭maj7 a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.