A♭ major

A♭

Also written G♯ · A♭maj · A♭M · A♭ major

NotesA♭ · C · E♭

Formula1 · 3 · 5

Root position

A♭ is the I chord of A♭ major, the IV of E♭ major and the V of D♭ major. Add the major 7th and it becomes A♭maj7; lower the 3rd and it is A♭m.

How pianists voice A♭

The same notes, laid out the way hands actually play them.

1 · 5 · 3 — root and 5th below, the 3rd an octave up. The same three notes spread over two octaves: the sound of strings rather than a keyboard.

The same 3 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

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

C (the 3) in the bass: 3 · 5 · 1.

E♭ (the 5) in the bass: 5 · 1 · 3.

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