Chords in the key of A♭ major
The key of A♭ major has four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). Its seven chords are A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm and Gdim. Tap any of them, or play them in order.
Tap a numeral to hear one chord; tap a shape to open it.
The chords that do most of the work
A♭ is home. D♭ (IV) is the step away, E♭ (V) is the pull back, and Fm (vi), the relative minor, is the shadow of home. Those four chords, in some order, carry an enormous share of pop, rock and country songs. B♭m (ii) usually leads to E♭; Cm (iii) is used for color; Gdim is tense and rarely stays long.
Key signature
A♭ major has four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭), written at the start of every line so you don't have to mark them on each note. Flat keys add one flat per step counterclockwise around the circle of fifths: A♭ major sits between E♭ major and D♭ major.
The notes of the key are the A♭ major scale: A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G. Relative minor: F minor (same notes). Parallel minor: G♯ minor (same starting note).
Progressions in A♭ major
The progression player below starts in A♭ major. Change the key to hear the same pattern anywhere; the numerals stay the same.
In A♭ major, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- IA♭
- VE♭
- viFm
- IVD♭
| Progression | In A♭ major | |
|---|---|---|
| I–V–vi–IV the pop progression | A♭ – E♭ – Fm – D♭ | |
| I–IV–V the three-chord progression | A♭ – D♭ – E♭ – A♭ | |
| I–vi–IV–V the 50s progression | A♭ – Fm – D♭ – E♭ | |
| ii–V–I the jazz cadence | B♭m7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7 – A♭maj7 | |
| vi–IV–I–V the minor-feel pop loop | Fm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭ | |
| I–IV–vi–V the lift | A♭ – D♭ – Fm – E♭ | |
| I–vi–ii–V the turnaround | A♭ – Fm – B♭m – E♭ | |
| I–iii–IV–V the stepwise climb | A♭ – Cm – D♭ – E♭ | |
| I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V the Canon progression | A♭ – E♭ – Fm – Cm – D♭ – A♭ – D♭ – E♭ | |
| I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) the 12-bar blues | A♭7 – A♭7 – A♭7 – A♭7 – D♭7 – D♭7 – A♭7 – A♭7 – E♭7 – D♭7 – A♭7 – E♭7 |
Making A♭ major chords pull harder
Any chord in A♭ major can get its own V7. It isn't in the key, but it points straight at the chord that follows.
- V7 of ii
- V7 of iii
- V7 of IV
- V7 of V
- V7 of vi
Mixing major and minor
Major-key songs often darken for a moment by taking chords from G♯ minor: C♯m (iv), E (♭VI), F♯ (♭VII) and B (♭III). The minor iv (C♯m) is the classic bittersweet move before returning to A♭.
Seventh chords in A♭ major
Add the next note of the scale on top of each chord and you get the key's seventh chords: A♭maj7, B♭m7, Cm7, D♭maj7, E♭7, Fm7 and Gm7♭5. E♭7 is the only dominant seventh, which is why it pulls so strongly to A♭.
Playing in A♭ major on guitar
A♭ major is awkward in open position, so most guitarists use a capo: capo 1st fret with G major shapes, capo 4th fret with E major shapes or capo 6th fret with D major shapes. Barre chords work too.
Transpose a chord chart · How a capo works
Other keys
Key of A♭ major: questions
What chords are in the key of A♭ major?
A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm and Gdim. As numerals: I = A♭, ii = B♭m, iii = Cm, IV = D♭, V = E♭, vi = Fm, vii° = Gdim.
How many sharps or flats are in A♭ major?
Four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).
What is the relative minor of A♭ major?
F minor. The two keys share all seven notes.
What are the I, IV and V chords in A♭ major?
A♭ (I), D♭ (IV) and E♭ (V).
How do I play in A♭ major on guitar with a capo?
Capo 1st fret, then play G major shapes (G, D, Em, C); they sound as A♭, E♭, Fm, D♭.
Chord spellings follow the key signature of A♭ major; all of them are checked automatically. Updated September 2026.