A♭ Minor
A♭m
Notes
A♭ · C♭ · E♭
Intervals
- RootA♭ (1P)
- Minor 3rdC♭ (3m)
- Perfect 5thE♭ (5P)
Fretboard
On the fretboard, B represents C♭.
Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.
Voicings & shapes
CAGED shapes (3)
Triad inversions (9)
Spread / open triads (8)
About
The A♭ minor triad (A♭–C♭–E♭) lowers the third by a half step, introducing a darker, more inward quality. It functions as the tonic of A♭ minor or as ii in G♭ major. The C♭ is the defining tone — it is what separates minor from major and from any sus chord that omits the third entirely. On guitar, the fifth can be omitted or doubled freely; root and ♭3 together are sufficient to establish the minor sound. Minor chords commonly precede dominants (A♭m7→D♭7→G♭Maj7 as ii–V–I) or move within minor diatonic harmony. Compared to A♭dim, minor is stable due to its perfect fifth; compared to A♭, it carries a more subdued, reflective quality.
Chord diagrams
Ab Minor voicing charts — tap a sheet to open it full size to save or print.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- A♭ Blues (deg 1)
- A♭ Dorian (I)
- A♭ Harmonic Minor (I)
- A♭ Melodic Minor (I)
- A♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- A♭ Natural Minor (I)
- A♭ Phrygian (I)
- A Diminished (deg 8)
- A Lydian (VII)
- B Lydian (VI)
- B Major (VI)
- B Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- B Mixolydian (VI)
- B♭ Locrian (VII)
- B♭ Phrygian (VII)
- C Diminished (deg 6)
- C Harmonic Minor (VI)
- D♭ Dorian (V)
- D♭ Mixolydian (V)
- D♭ Natural Minor (V)
- E Lydian (III)
- E Major (III)
- E♭ Diminished (deg 4)
- E♭ Harmonic Minor (IV)
- E♭ Locrian (IV)
- E♭ Natural Minor (IV)
- E♭ Phrygian (IV)
- F Blues (deg 2)
- F Locrian (III)
- F♯ Diminished (deg 2)
- F♯ Dorian (II)
- F♯ Major (II)
- F♯ Melodic Minor (II)
- F♯ Mixolydian (II)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. The Roman numeral (or scale degree) marks the chord root’s position in the scale.