Guitar chords · Power chord
A♭5 chord on guitar (Ab5)
A♭5 (A♭ Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion.) has two notes: A♭ and E♭, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and 5.
Shapes
How to play A♭5
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
A♭5 has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the E shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 4 or the A shape at fret 11. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
E shape · fret 4
A shape · fret 11
Notes and formula
What makes A♭5 power chord
A Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion. is just the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and the 5th, often with the root doubled an The distance of twelve half steps, where a note comes round to the same name. Twelve frets up a string is an octave. up. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, so it stays clear under heavy distortion: the backbone of rock and punk.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The 5th makes A♭5 a Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion..
- A♭Rroot
- E♭5essential
- A♭, the root
- Other chord tones
A♭5 and G♯5 are the same chord with two names: same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step., same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.
Keys
Keys with A♭5
A♭5 belongs to twelve keys: E major (iii5, spelled G♯5), C♭ major (vi5), G♭ major (ii5), D♭ major (V5), A♭ major (I5), E♭ major (IV5), C♯ minor (v5, spelled G♯5), A♭ minor (i5), E♭ minor (iv5), B♭ minor (VII5), F minor (III5) and C minor (VI5).
- iii5E majorSpelled G♯5 in this key
- vi5C♭ major
- ii5G♭ major
- V5D♭ major
- I5A♭ major
- IV5E♭ major
- v5C♯ minorSpelled G♯5 in this key
- i5A♭ minor
- iv5E♭ minor
- VII5B♭ minor
- III5F minor
- VI5C minor
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Slash chords
A♭5 over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps A♭5 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- A♭5/E♭
A♭5 with its 5th, E♭, in the bass.
Same root
Other chords on G♯ / A♭
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- A♭ major
- G♯m minor
- A♭7 dominant 7th
- A♭maj7 major 7th
- G♯m7 minor 7th
- A♭sus2 suspended 2nd
- A♭sus4 suspended 4th
- A♭6 major 6th
- G♯m6 minor 6th
- A♭add9 add 9
- A♭9 dominant 9th
- A♭maj9 major 9th
- G♯m9 minor 9th
- A♭13 dominant 13th
- A♭maj13 major 13th
- G♯m11 minor 11th
- G♯° diminished
- G♯m7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- G♯°7 diminished 7th
- A♭+ augmented
- A♭7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- G♯m(maj7) minor major 7th
- A♭6/9 six-nine
- G♯m(add9) minor add 9
- A♭7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
A♭5, in short
- What notes are in the A♭5 chord?
- A♭5 (A♭ Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion.) has two notes: A♭ and E♭, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and 5.
- How do you play A♭5 on guitar?
- A♭5 has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the E shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 4 or the A shape at fret 11.
- What key is A♭5 in?
- A♭5 belongs to twelve keys: E major (iii5, spelled G♯5), C♭ major (vi5), G♭ major (ii5), D♭ major (V5), A♭ major (I5), E♭ major (IV5), C♯ minor (v5, spelled G♯5), A♭ minor (i5), E♭ minor (iv5), B♭ minor (VII5), F minor (III5) and C minor (VI5).
- Is A♭5 the same as G♯5?
- Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. A♭5 is the spelling in C♭ major, G♭ major, D♭ major, A♭ major, E♭ major, A♭ minor, E♭ minor, B♭ minor, F minor and C minor; G♯5 only in E major, B major, F♯ major, C♯ major, C♯ minor, G♯ minor, D♯ minor and A♯ minor.