Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the G string (4th).
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the E string (2nd).
- Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (1st).
- Let the C string ring open.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 1 | index | A♭4 | root |
| 3rd (C) | open | — | C4 | third |
| 2nd (E) | fret 2 | middle | G♭4 | flat seventh |
| 1st (A) | fret 3 | ring | C5 | third |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
2 other ways to play A♭7
The same 4 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 5646A shape at the 4th fret · four fingers
- 8889A barre at the 8th fret and one more finger
Holding it cleanly
One string rings open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
The notes in A♭7
A dominant seventh chord is built from the root (1), 3, 5 and ♭7 of its root’s major scale. From A♭ that gives A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭. A major chord with a flattened seventh on top. It wants to move — usually to the chord a fourth above it.
The same root, other chords: A♭ major, A♭m, A♭maj7, A♭m7, A♭sus2, A♭sus4, A♭dim, A♭aug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a A♭7 chord?
A♭ dominant seventh is four notes: A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ — the root, 3, 5 and ♭7 of the A♭ major scale. On ukulele the shape 1023 sounds A♭4, C4, G♭4 and C5, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play A♭7 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 1023 — an open-position shape, with three fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
Is A♭7 the same chord as G♯7?
Yes — on ukulele they are the same frets and the same sound. A♭ and G♯ are two names for one pitch, and which name a songbook prints depends on the key: a piece in a sharp key writes G♯7, a piece in a flat key writes A♭7.
What is the difference between A♭7 and A♭maj7?
A♭7 has a flattened seventh (G♭), a whole step below the root; A♭maj7 has the natural seventh, a semitone below the root. A♭7 is restless and wants to move on; A♭maj7 is soft and at rest. They are not interchangeable.