A♭m7 guitar chord
The A♭ minor 7th chord: every way to play it on the neck, the notes in it, and the scales that sound good over it.
What's in A♭m7
- Notes
- A♭ – C♭ – E♭ – G♭
- Formula
- 1 – b3 – 5 – b7
- Name
- A♭ minor 7th
A♭m7A♭ · C♭ · E♭ · G♭
2 ways to play it · Tuning E A D G B E
- E shape · 4th fret
- D shape · 6th fret
What to play over A♭m7
Start with the chord's own notes — A♭, C♭, E♭, G♭ — and land on them on the strong beats. Then reach for a scale; which one depends on the chord's job in the song.
- G# Dorian mode
The usual choice over m7, especially a ii7 in a ii–V–I.
- G# minor pentatonic scale
The safe start — it holds all four notes of the chord.
- G# natural minor scale
The natural minor, when the chord is the home chord (i7).
Questions
What notes are in a A♭m7 chord?
A♭m7 has 4 notes: A♭, C♭, E♭, G♭. Counted from the root, its formula is 1 – b3 – 5 – b7.
What scale goes with A♭m7?
G# Dorian mode is the place to start. The usual choice over m7, especially a ii7 in a ii–V–I.