dominant seventh chord
A♭, C, E♭ and G♭
- Root
- A♭
- Major third
- C
- Perfect fifth
- E♭
- Minor seventh
- G♭
Formula
1 3 5 ♭7 (4, 7, 10 half steps above A♭)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | A♭ | C | E♭ | G♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
A♭7 inversions
A♭7 has 3 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
A♭7
Root position
| Notes | A♭ | C | E♭ | G♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
A♭7/C
First inversion
| Notes | C | E♭ | G♭ | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
A♭7/E♭
Second inversion
| Notes | E♭ | G♭ | A♭ | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
A♭7/G♭
Third inversion
| Notes | G♭ | A♭ | C | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with A♭7
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. A♭7 appears as:
- V7 in D♭ major
- VII7 in B♭ minor
How A♭7 is built
A♭ is the root, C the major third, E♭ the perfect fifth and G♭ the minor seventh.
A dominant seventh is a major chord plus the minor seventh, 10 half steps above the root. A♭7 is the V7 chord of D♭ major and pulls strongly toward it.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of A♭7 are A, C, E, G. That is why it is spelled A♭, C, E♭ and G♭.
Find A♭7 yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 4
Tap the notes of A♭7, in any octave and any order.
Practice A♭7 in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the A♭7 chord?
A♭7 has four notes: A♭, C, E♭ and G♭. A♭ is the root, C the major third, E♭ the perfect fifth and G♭ the minor seventh.
What fingers do you use for A♭7 on piano?
In root position, play A♭, C, E♭ and G♭ with right hand fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 (thumb, index finger, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3, 2 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of A♭7?
A♭7 has 3 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (A♭7/C): C, E♭, G♭ and A♭. Second inversion (A♭7/E♭): E♭, G♭, A♭ and C. Third inversion (A♭7/G♭): G♭, A♭, C and E♭.
What key is A♭7 in?
A♭7 appears as V7 in D♭ major and VII7 in B♭ minor.