A♭6 chord
A♭6 is A♭, C, E♭ and F: 1–3–5–6 built on A♭. See and hear it on all three instruments below.
On guitar
4-3-1-1-1-1 · partial barre · medium
- Notes
- A♭ · C · E♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
- First shape
- 4-3-1-1-1-1
A♭6 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · A♭–C–E♭–F · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- A♭ · C · E♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
A♭6 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
1-3-1-3 · movable · medium
- Notes
- A♭ · C · E♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
- First shape
- 1-3-1-3
Where A♭6 usually goes next
Here's what the hand does on the most common changes, on guitar and on piano.
- A♭6 → C♯ (IV in A♭ major)
Guitar: A♭6 (4-3-1-1-1-1) to C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the D string, 6th fret, your ring finger lands on the G string, 6th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share A♭ and F, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: A♭6 to C♯: play C♯ in 2nd inversion (G♯–C♯–E♯) and G♯ and E♯ stay under the same fingers, while C moves up to C♯. C♯ - A♭6 → E♭ (V in A♭ major)
Guitar: A♭6 (4-3-1-1-1-1) to E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3): move the index finger to the D string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the high E string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. E♭ carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: A♭6 to E♭: play E♭ in 1st inversion (G–B♭–E♭) and E♭ stays under the same finger, while A♭ moves down to G and A♭ up to B♭. E♭ - A♭6 → Fm (vi in A♭ major)
Guitar: A♭6 (4-3-1-1-1-1) to Fm (1-3-3-1-1-1): your middle finger stays put, the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the ring finger to the D string, 3rd fret. Shared notes: A♭, C and F.
Piano: A♭6 to Fm: play Fm in 1st inversion (A♭–C–F) and A♭, C and F stay under the same fingers. Fm
Guitar with a capo: capo 1, G6 shape; capo 4, E6 shape; capo 6, D6 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 1, G6 shape; capo 6, D6 shape.
How A♭6 is built
A♭6 is A♭ major with a major sixth added. It sounds sweet and a little vintage, the classic last chord of a swing tune, and it shares all its notes with Fm7.
Count keys (black and white) from A♭: 4 half steps up to C, 3 half steps up to E♭ then 2 half steps up to F. G♯6 is the other spelling of the same chord.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | root | 0 | |
| C | major third | 4 | |
| E♭ | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| F | major sixth | 9 |
Keys and progressions with A♭6
A♭6 sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
Chords close to A♭6
- A♭6 is A♭ plus F. A♭
Chords that share most of their notes with A♭6: Fm7, Fm, A♭, C♯maj7, C♯add9, Dm7♭5.
Every A♭ chord
A♭6 chord: questions
What notes are in the A♭6 chord?
A♭, C, E♭ and F. A♭6 is built 1–3–5–6 from A♭: C is the major third, E♭ is the perfect fifth and F is the major sixth.
How do you play A♭6 on guitar?
The usual shape is 4-3-1-1-1-1 (partial barre). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play A♭6 on piano?
Play A♭, C, E♭ and F with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. A♭ sits on the middle black key of the three. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play A♭6 on ukulele?
1-3-1-3 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is A♭6 in?
A♭6 sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
What's the difference between A♭6 and A♭?
A♭6 is A♭ plus F.
All three instruments are drawn and played from A♭, C, E♭ and F by the same engine. Updated September 2026.