Minor chord · Ab root
Abm chord
- Ab1
- Cb♭3
- Eb5
The Ab minor chord (also called the G#m chord — same notes, different spelling) is built from the notes Ab, Cb, Eb. A minor shape you will meet in barre-chord territory.
By Chiye · Updated
What is the Abm chord?
The Abm chord (Ab minor) is a minor chord built from three notes: Ab, Cb, Eb — the 1–♭3–5 of the Ab scale, 3 semitones and 7 semitones above the root. On guitar it is most often played as a movable shape from fret 4 (4-6-6-4-4-4); shift all fretted notes together to transpose it along the neck. It is rated intermediate. The darker, moodier counterpart of the major chord. Below you will find step-by-step fingering, 4 positions up the neck, audio of every shape, and the real progressions this chord lives inside.
How do you play the Abm chord on guitar?
Fret 4 barre — a movable shape, so this same fingering works for every root note.
- Lay your index finger flat across the low E to high E strings at fret 4, rolled slightly onto its bony edge.
- Press the A string at fret 6 with your ring finger.
- Press the D string at fret 6 with your pinky finger.
- Strum all six strings and let every one ring.
Leave out the lowest fretted note (low E string) and practise the remaining strings. The bass changes, and the upper strings may still need a smaller barre; check that the third and other colour tones stay clear. x-6-6-4-4-4
How do you make Abm sound clean?
Abm uses an E-minor shape barred at fret 4. The A and D strings are at fret 6; keep the G string on the fret-4 barre clear, because it carries Cb, the minor third.
Fret Abm and pick the third string on its own until it rings as loudly as the root. Then slide the shape up to Bm and back — the grip never changes, only where the index lands.
In real songs
Abm in songs
None of the 90 songs charted on this site use Abm yet — it is a colour chord rather than a songwriting staple.
What other ways can you play Abm up the neck?
3 more positions below. These are the same notes in a different part of the neck. Choosing the position closest to the chord you just played is what stops your hand jumping between changes.
Position 2 · Open positioneasiest
This is the shape most players learn first, because the open strings do half the work — you only press 3 strings.
Position 3 · Fret 6
No open strings, so this is a movable shape: slide it up or down and the same fingering gives you a different chord name.
At fret 6 the neck is still wide enough to keep your thumb behind it, which gives the fingers more reach than a thumb-over grip.
Position 4 · Fret 11 barre
Every note here is fretted, which means the shape transposes anywhere on the neck without changing your fingers.
The barre is the only hard part of this shape. Keep the bar finger straight and use the weight of your arm rather than the grip of your thumb.
The theory behind Abm
Abm is spelled Ab – Cb – Eb — the 1 – ♭3 – 5 of the Ab scale, which is the root plus 3 semitones, 7 semitones. The darker, moodier counterpart of the major chord.
The flattened third is what makes it minor, so if Abm sounds wrong the third is almost always the note being muted — check the string carrying it before you change anything else.
What key is the Abm chord in?
Abm is the i chord in G# minor, the ii chord in F# major and the vi chord in B major — the three keys where Abm appears naturally.
the home chord of the minor key
the gentle predominant — often before the V
the relative minor — the major key’s shadow
Abm on other instruments
Ab – Cb – Eb — the highlighted black keys are the sharps or flats; play each note once, then move them into one hand position.
Take it to the practice room
