What notes are in an A♭maj7 chord?

A♭maj7 contains four notes: A♭ (root), C (major third), E♭ (perfect fifth), and G (major seventh).

How is A♭maj7 different from A♭7?

Only the seventh changes. A♭maj7 has G natural; A♭7 has G♭. The half-step turns a stable I chord into a tense dominant that wants to resolve to D♭.

What jazz standards use A♭maj7?

"Misty" (in A♭), "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "Body and Soul" (in D♭ but with A♭-related modulations). Many ballads use A♭ because the key is comfortable for both vocalists and horns.

How do you play A♭maj7 on piano?

Place your thumb on A♭, index finger on C, middle finger on E♭, and pinky on G. The chord pattern (black-white-black-white) falls comfortably under the hand once memorised.

Ab major 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

A♭ major 7 (A♭maj7) — A♭, C, E♭, G — is A♭ major with a major 7th on top. The four-flat key signature is comfortable for both pianists and horn players; A♭ is one of the most-used jazz keys, and A♭maj7 appears at every primary cadence in A♭-major literature.

Intervals

The Ab major 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

Ab→Cmajor 3rd4 semitones
C→Ebminor 3rd3 semitones
Eb→Gmajor 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the Ab major 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the Ab major 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

A♭maj7 has G natural as its 7th — a half-step higher than A♭7 (which has G♭). The leading-tone G in A♭ major is what gives the chord its full, complete-sounding character. On piano, A♭maj7 falls comfortably as black-white-black-white. On guitar, the most common voicing is a 4th-fret E-shape barre with the 7th adjusted.

In context

A♭maj7 is the I chord in A♭ major. The ii–V–I runs B♭m7 → E♭7 → A♭maj7 — the cadence in many great jazz ballads including "Misty" (which centres in A♭) and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life." The chord also serves as the IV of E♭ major and bVI of C minor.

Drill it

The Ab major 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in an A♭maj7 chord?: A♭maj7 contains four notes: A♭ (root), C (major third), E♭ (perfect fifth), and G (major seventh).
How is A♭maj7 different from A♭7?: Only the seventh changes. A♭maj7 has G natural; A♭7 has G♭. The half-step turns a stable I chord into a tense dominant that wants to resolve to D♭.
What jazz standards use A♭maj7?: "Misty" (in A♭), "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "Body and Soul" (in D♭ but with A♭-related modulations). Many ballads use A♭ because the key is comfortable for both vocalists and horns.
How do you play A♭maj7 on piano?: Place your thumb on A♭, index finger on C, middle finger on E♭, and pinky on G. The chord pattern (black-white-black-white) falls comfortably under the hand once memorised.