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 2nd fret of the A string (1st).
- Little finger on the 3rd fret of the C string (3rd).
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) | fret 3 | little | E♭4 | fifth |
| 2nd (E) | fret 2 | middle | G♭4 | flat seventh |
| 1st (A) | fret 2 | ring | C♭4 | minor 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♭m7
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.
- 4646A barre at the 4th fret and two more fingers
- 8879A shape at the 7th fret · four fingers
Holding it cleanly
Press just behind each fret, not on top of it and not in the middle of the gap: that is where the least pressure gives a clean note.
The notes in A♭m7
A minor seventh chord is built from the root (1), ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of its root’s major scale. From A♭ that gives A♭ – C♭ (B) – E♭ – G♭. A minor chord with a flattened seventh: mellow rather than sad, and the usual ii chord of a major key.
The same root, other chords: A♭ major, A♭m, A♭7, A♭maj7, A♭sus2, A♭sus4, A♭dim, A♭aug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a A♭m7 chord?
A♭ minor seventh is four notes: A♭ – C♭ (B) – E♭ – G♭ — the root, ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of the A♭ major scale. On ukulele the shape 1322 sounds A♭4, E♭4, G♭4 and C♭4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play A♭m7 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 1322 — a shape at the 1st fret, with four fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
Is A♭m7 the same chord as G♯m7?
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♯m7, a piece in a flat key writes A♭m7.
What is the difference between A♭m7 and A♭m?
A♭m7 is A♭m with one more note, a flattened seventh (G♭). It can nearly always stand in for A♭m and sounds a little warmer and less final.