Simple reference tone; not a recording of an acoustic piano.
A a♭ dominant seventh is a major triad plus a minor seventh.
Preserve the written chord spelling shown here; keyboard equivalence does not rename the chord.
Choose a position to keep the four written notes, sounding keys, bass note, playback and print reference synchronized.
How is the A♭7 chord built?
A♭7 uses 1–3–5–♭7: A♭–C–E♭–G♭.
a major triad plus a minor seventh
Compare A♭ Dominant Seventh
Compared with A♭ major, add the minor seventh above the root.
A♭7 inversions
A seventh chord has four chord tones and therefore four positions: root position plus three inversions. The slash symbol identifies the written bass note.
A♭ Dominant Seventh: root position, first inversion, second inversion, and third inversion
Position
Symbol
Notes, low to high
Bass
Root position, current selection
A♭7
A♭3–C4–E♭4–G♭4
A♭3
First inversion
A♭7/C
C4–E♭4–G♭4–A♭4
C4
Second inversion
A♭7/E♭
E♭4–G♭4–A♭4–C5
E♭4
Third inversion
A♭7/G♭
G♭4–A♭4–C5–E♭5
G♭4
Reference scope
Fingering is not provided for this reference
Fingerings are not included on this page. The diagram shows note positions, not a prescribed hand shape.
Use the written notes, keyboard positions and playback without treating the diagram as a required hand shape.
Supports: Dominant Seventh chord construction, written spelling and inversion principles
Scope: Supports theory and spelling only; keyboard layouts are PianoGrid examples, and no fingering is assigned.
Questions about A♭7
What notes are in A♭7?
A♭, C, E♭, G♭.
What is the formula for A♭7?
1–3–5–♭7.
How many inversions does a seventh chord have?
Three inversions, in addition to root position.
Interactive practice
Build A♭7 on the keyboard
Select the four pitch classes that make A♭7, then check your answer.
This one-octave exercise checks the exact four-note pitch-class set. Order and inversion do not affect the result; missing and extra notes are reported, while fingering and live performance are not assessed.
4Choose four pitch classes
One octave, C through B. Select a key again to remove it.