A♭ major sixth

A♭6

Also written G♯6 · A♭maj6 · A♭M6 · A♭add6

NotesA♭ · C · E♭ · F
Formula1 · 3 · 5 · 6
C3F6A♭1E♭5
Root position

A tonic where the 6th does the 7th's job — sweeter than A♭maj7, the sound of a swing-era ending. A♭6 has exactly the notes of Fm7; which one it is depends on the bass.

How pianists voice A♭6

Nobody plays a jazz chord in root position. These are the shapes that actually get played — the same ones Cadenza shows when you play the chord.

Shell Left hand

C3F6A♭1

1 · 3 · 6 — root, 3rd and 6th: the three notes that say what the chord is. Left hand, low; everything else is colour.

Rootless A From the 3rd

C3F6E♭5B♭9

3 · 5 · 6 · 9 — no root: the bass player has it. The left-hand voicing of modern jazz piano. Without A♭ underneath, the same keys read as Cm11 — the bass turns them into A♭6.

Rootless B From the 6th

F6C3B♭9E♭5

6 · 9 · 3 · 5 — the other half of the pair. A and B alternate through a ii–V–I so the hand barely moves. Without A♭ underneath, the same keys read as F7sus4 — the bass turns them into A♭6.

Drop 2 Two hands

C3F6E♭5A♭1

5 · 1 · 3 · 6 — close position with the second voice from the top dropped an octave: wider, warmer, the standard for chord melody.

A♭6 inversions

The same 4 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position A♭6

C3F6A♭1E♭5

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · 3 · 5 · 6.

1st inversion A♭6/C

C3F6E♭5A♭1

C (the 3) in the bass: 3 · 5 · 6 · 1.

2nd inversion A♭6/E♭

F6C3E♭5A♭1

E♭ (the 5) in the bass: 5 · 6 · 1 · 3.

3rd inversion A♭6/F

F6C3A♭1E♭5

F (the 6) in the bass: 6 · 1 · 3 · 5.

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