A♭7 chord on piano
A♭7 (A flat dominant 7th) is a dominant 7th chord built on A♭. It has 4 notes, A♭, C, E♭ and G♭, and its formula is 1 3 5 ♭7.
Notes and intervals of A♭7
From the root upwards, A♭7 contains root (A♭), major 3rd (C), perfect 5th (E♭) and minor 7th (G♭). Those intervals give the chord its colour: the formula 1 3 5 ♭7 works the same way in every key, so once you know it for A♭ you can build the chord on any note.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | A♭ |
| 3 | major 3rd | C |
| 5 | perfect 5th | E♭ |
| ♭7 | minor 7th | G♭ |
How to play A♭7 on piano
Find A♭ and play A♭, C, E♭ and G♭ together. With the right hand, a common fingering is 1-2-3-5. With the left hand, reverse it (5-3-2-1). Keep your wrist level and let the fingers curve, so all 4 keys go down at the same time.
Inversions of A♭7
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. A♭7 has 3 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (C E♭ G♭ A♭), 2nd inversion (E♭ G♭ A♭ C) and 3rd inversion (G♭ A♭ C E♭). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use A♭7?
You find A♭7 as a diatonic chord in D flat major (V7). The most common case is D flat major, where it plays the role of V7.
Scales to play over A♭7
To improvise over A♭7, start with A flat Mixolydian mode. All of these scales contain every note of the chord: A flat Mixolydian mode. Aim for the chord notes on strong beats and use the other notes to move between them.
About dominant 7th chords
A major triad plus a minor seventh: 1 3 5 ♭7. The third and the seventh form a tritone, the unstable interval that wants to resolve, which gives the dominant seventh its tension and its bluesy edge. On its own it sounds unfinished; followed by the chord a fifth below, it sounds like an arrival. For example C7: C E G B♭.
Its main job is V7 to I, the strongest cadence in tonal music (for example G7 to C). It also works as a secondary dominant: V7 of V, V7 of vi and so on. In the blues every chord can be a 7, I7 IV7 V7 for the whole 12-bar form, and jazz uses it in ii7 V7 Imaj7.
Root position stacks three thirds: 1 3 5 ♭7. Pianists often thin it out: root in the left hand, 3 and ♭7 in the right (a shell), fifth optional. To hear the resolution, follow it with its I: the 3 rises a semitone to the root of I, and the ♭7 falls a semitone to the third.
The big one: 7 is not maj7. A plain 7 always means a minor seventh (B♭ in C7), maj7 means a major seventh (B in Cmaj7), and the two sound opposite, tense versus calm. Also, inside a major key only the V chord is naturally a dominant 7; elsewhere it is a borrowed colour or a secondary dominant.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A♭7 chord?
A♭7 (A flat dominant 7th) contains A♭, C, E♭ and G♭. In intervals: root (A♭), major 3rd (C), perfect 5th (E♭) and minor 7th (G♭).
How do you play A♭7 on piano?
Play A♭, C, E♭ and G♭ together with the right-hand fingering 1-2-3-5. You can also play it in 3 inversions, shown on this page.
What scale goes with A♭7?
A flat Mixolydian mode fits A♭7 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: A flat Mixolydian mode.
What key is A♭7 in?
A♭7 belongs to D flat major (V7). In D flat major it is the V7 chord.
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