Minor 7th chord · Ab root
Abm7 chord
- Ab1
- Cb♭3
- Eb5
- Gb♭7
The Ab minor 7th chord (also called the G#m7 chord — same notes, different spelling) is built from the notes Ab, Cb, Eb, Gb. A minor 7th shape you will meet in barre-chord territory.
By Chiye · Updated
What is the Abm7 chord?
The Abm7 chord (Ab minor 7th) is a minor 7th chord built from four notes: Ab, Cb, Eb, Gb — the 1–♭3–5–♭7 of the Ab scale, 3 semitones and 7 semitones and 10 semitones above the root. On guitar it is most often played as a movable shape from fret 4 (4-6-4-4-4-4); shift all fretted notes together to transpose it along the neck. It is rated intermediate. The smooth workhorse of funk, R&B and lo-fi. Below you will find step-by-step fingering, 3 positions up the neck, audio of every shape, and the real progressions this chord lives inside.
How do you play the Abm7 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.
- 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-6-4-4-4-4
How do you make Abm7 sound clean?
Abm7 is the F#m7 shape two frets up: a full barre at the 4th with the ring finger on the fifth string. The flat seventh lives on the fourth string under the barre itself, and a tired index flattens it first.
Play Abm (4-6-6-4-4-4) then Abm7 (4-6-4-4-4-4) and name which is which out loud. Then slide the minor seventh shape up two frets twice and hear it become Bbm7 and Cm7.
In real songs
Abm7 in songs
None of the 90 songs charted on this site use Abm7 yet — it is a colour chord rather than a songwriting staple.
What other ways can you play Abm7 up the neck?
2 more positions below. A chord is a set of notes, not a shape — every position below sounds like Abm7, and each one puts your hand somewhere different, which is what makes them useful in different songs.
Position 2 · Fret 6 barre
Because nothing rings open, you can move this whole shape to any fret and it keeps the same quality — only the letter name changes.
A single bar covers the rest of the strings here. If the inside strings stay dead, move the bar a millimetre closer to the fret wire before you try pressing harder.
Position 3 · 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 Abm7
Abm7 is spelled Ab – Cb – Eb – Gb — the 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7 of the Ab scale, which is the root plus 3 semitones, 7 semitones, 10 semitones. The smooth workhorse of funk, R&B and lo-fi.
The flat seventh softens the minor third, which is why m7 chords sit comfortably under a vocal. In practice you will use Abm7 far more often than the plain minor triad in anything funky or jazzy.
Abm7 on other instruments
Ab – Cb – Eb – Gb — 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
