A♭ Minor 7th
A♭m7
Notes
A♭ · C♭ · E♭ · G♭
Intervals
- RootA♭ (1P)
- Minor 3rdC♭ (3m)
- Perfect 5thE♭ (5P)
- Minor 7thG♭ (7m)
Fretboard
On the fretboard, B represents C♭.
Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.
Voicings & shapes
Drop-2 voicings (12)
Drop-3 voicings (8)
Shell voicings (2)
About
The A♭ minor 7th (A♭–C♭–E♭–G♭) combines a minor triad with a minor seventh. The G♭ softens the minor triad, giving m7 a more open, fluid sound than a plain minor chord. The C♭ and G♭ are the two essential tones — together they define both the minor quality and the seventh extension; the 5th can be dropped. In jazz, m7 is the standard ii in major ii–V–I progressions (A♭m7 → D♭7 → G♭Maj7) and a common tonic color in modal contexts. In funk and soul, it provides warmth without the tension of a dominant chord. Compared to A♭m, m7 is less tense and more harmonically relaxed; compared to A♭m9, less ornamental.
Chord diagrams
Ab Minor 7th 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♭ 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)
- 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 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.