The Abmaj7 chord contains A♭, C, E♭ and G. Also written A♭maj7, it combines an A-flat major triad with a major seventh. Find the four keys, then compare root position and three inversions.
Build the Abmaj7 chord with degrees 1–3–5–7. G natural is the major seventh, eleven semitones above A♭. A♭7 uses G♭ instead; its root, major third and perfect fifth remain A♭, C and E♭.
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.
Build the Abmaj7 chord by selecting A♭, C, E♭ and G in the exercise. Keep C and G natural. Choosing C♭ and G♭ would produce the pitch-class set of A♭m7 instead.
A♭maj7 uses 1–3–5–7: A♭–C–E♭–G.
a major triad plus a major seventh
Compared with A♭ major, add the major seventh above the root.
A seventh chord has four chord tones and therefore four positions: root position plus three inversions. The slash symbol identifies the written bass note.
| Position | Symbol | Notes, low to high | Bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position, current selection | A♭maj7 | A♭3–C4–E♭4–G4 | A♭3 |
| First inversion | A♭maj7/C | C4–E♭4–G4–A♭4 | C4 |
| Second inversion | A♭maj7/E♭ | E♭4–G4–A♭4–C5 | E♭4 |
| Third inversion | A♭maj7/G | G4–A♭4–C5–E♭5 | G4 |
The Abmaj7 chord diagrams identify pitches rather than prescribe finger numbers. Each inversion preserves the four notes while changing the bass. Read the written octave labels before choosing a comfortable hand position.
Use the written notes, keyboard positions and playback without treating the diagram as a required hand shape.
Read left- and right-hand finger numbersOpen Music Theory
Supports: Major Seventh chord construction, written spelling and inversion principles
Scope: Supports theory and spelling only; keyboard layouts are PianoGrid examples, and no fingering is assigned.
A♭, C, E♭ and G, with formula 1–3–5–7. The maj7 symbol calls for a major seventh above the root.
No. The Abmaj7 chord uses G natural, while A♭7 uses G♭. Keep A♭, C and E♭ unchanged and compare the seventh.
No. The Abmaj7 chord has C and G natural. A♭m7 lowers both to C♭ and G♭. They share the root and perfect fifth but differ in their third and seventh.
C starts the first inversion, E♭ the second and G the third. Root position starts on A♭. All four chord tones remain present in every option.
Select the four pitch classes that make A♭maj7, 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.
One octave, C through B. Select a key again to remove it.
Chord tones: A♭–C–E♭–G · Formula: 1, 3, 5, 7
Dots mark the notes to play. C4 is middle C. Numbers identify octaves, not fingers.