Ab: guitar chord voicings, inversions, scales and arpeggios

Ab (Major) is an interactive GuitarArcanum page with chord formula, intervals, voicings, inversions, triads, pentatonic patterns, scales and arpeggios on the fretboard.

Chord formula

Interval formula: 1 3 5. A major triad — root, 3rd and 5th. The foundation of all harmony: a stable, clear, bright chord.

Chord tones

The root sets the center, the major 3rd gives the major quality, and the 5th firms up the foundation. Three notes, nothing extra.

Sound character

Clear, stable and bright — the sound of rest and resolution.

Harmonic function

Most often a tonic, but on different scale degrees it works as a subdominant or a dominant.

Typical progressions

  • Ab – Eb – Fm – Db
  • Ab – Db – Eb
  • I – IV – V – I

Guitar voicing advice

Open C, G, D, A, E shapes and barre forms from the 6th and 5th strings. The first chords you learn.

Fretboard voicings for Ab

A few curated Ab shapes with fret numbers, intervals and root markers.

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Ab — G shape, frets 0–5
15135134567
Ab — E shape, frets 3–7
XX15315678910
Ab — D shape, frets 5–10
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Ab — C shape, frets 7–12
XX15131011121314
Ab — A shape, frets 10–14

Compatible scales for Ab

Open interactive scale pages that naturally pair with this chord.

Other chord qualities on the Ab root

Compare this chord with other qualities sharing the same root.