A♭6 chord on guitar

A♭6 is A♭, C, E♭ and F. The usual shape is 4-3-1-1-1-1. Tap Play, then slow it down.

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

How to play A♭6 on guitar

Shape 1, 4-3-1-1-1-1, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger lies flat over the 4 strings from the D string to the high E string, just behind the 1st fret wire.
C: middle finger, 3rd fret of the A string.
A♭: ring finger, 4th fret of the low E string.

Press the small barre with the pad of the finger, not the whole finger; the other strings stay free.
This one reaches. Let the thumb slide lower on the neck and the stretch gets noticeably easier.

Other ways to play A♭6

x-x-6-5-6-4: movable shape at the 4th fret, medium. A small shape for quick changes and a lighter sound.
x-11-10-10-13-11: partial barre shape at the 10th fret, medium. Up the neck the chord gets thinner and brighter, a good contrast to the open version.

Capo shortcuts for A♭6

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 1st fret and play the open G6 shape (3-2-0-0-0-0), capo on the 4th fret and play the open E6 shape (0-2-2-1-2-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open D6 shape (x-x-0-2-0-2). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

A♭6 chord changes

The chords A♭6 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

C♯ (IV in A♭ major): 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. C♯ on guitar
E♭ (V in A♭ major): 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. E♭ on guitar
Fm (vi in A♭ major): 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. Fm on guitar

A♭6 is A♭ major with a major sixth added. A♭6 is a vintage ending chord; hold it at the end of a swing or ballad tune instead of plain A♭. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Getting A♭6 under your fingers

Arpeggiate 4-3-1-1-1-1 from the lowest string: A♭, C, E♭, A♭, C, F. Then strum it and listen for the same 6 notes together. Then switch to x-x-6-5-6-4 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Written G♯6, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Keys and progressions with A♭6

A♭6 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: A♭6 on piano and A♭6 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Close to A♭6

Other major sixth chords

A♭6 on guitar: questions

What notes are in A♭6 on guitar?

A♭, C, E♭ and F. In the 4-3-1-1-1-1 shape the strings play A♭ (low E string), C (A string), E♭ (D string), A♭ (G string), C (B string) and F (high E string), so A♭ and C are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play A♭6 on guitar?

No open-string A♭6 exists in standard tuning; x-x-6-5-6-4 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is A♭6 a barre chord on guitar?

Not usually: 4-3-1-1-1-1 needs no barre.

Which string does A♭6 start on?

In the 4-3-1-1-1-1 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 4th fret, which is A♭, the root.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes A♭, C, E♭ and F and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.