Mandolin · key of A♭ major

Chords in the key of A♭ major

The seven chords in the key of A♭ major are A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm and Gdim. A♭, D♭ and E♭ are the major chords (I, IV and V), B♭m, Cm and Fm are the minor chords (ii, iii and vi), and Gdim is diminished (vii°). Its relative minor is F minor, which uses the same seven chords.

Key

Scale

The chords of A♭ major
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
I	A♭home	A♭ C E♭	A♭maj7home	A♭ C E♭ G	1	tonic
ii	B♭mrestless	B♭ D♭ F	B♭m7restless	B♭ D♭ F A♭	2m	supertonic
iii	Cmhalf-light	C E♭ G	Cm7half-light	C E♭ G B♭	3m	mediant
IV	D♭the door	D♭ F A♭	D♭maj7the door	D♭ F A♭ C	4	subdominant
V	E♭the pull	E♭ G B♭	E♭7the pull	E♭ G B♭ D♭	5	dominant
vi	Fmthe shadow	F A♭ C	Fm7the shadow	F A♭ C E♭	6m	submediant
vii°	Gdimthe edge	G B♭ D♭	Gm7♭5the edge	G B♭ D♭ F	7°	leading tone

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

A♭

LibraryMandolin · Standard

I · tonic

B♭m

LibraryMandolin · Standard

ii · supertonic

Cm

LibraryMandolin · Standard

iii · mediant

D♭

LibraryMandolin · Standard

IV · subdominant

E♭

LibraryMandolin · Standard

V · dominant

Fm

LibraryMandolin · Standard

vi · submediant

Gdim

LibraryMandolin · Standard

vii° · leading tone

Chord progressions in A♭ major

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on mandolin. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

homethe pullthe doorthe shadowrestlesshalf-light

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The three-chord trick

I | IV | V | I

Key Chord chart

The chords of countless folk, country, blues and rock and roll songs.

The pop progression

I | V | vi | IV

Key Chord chart

I–V–vi–IV, behind a great many hits since the 1980s.

The fifties progression

I | vi | IV | V

Key Chord chart

I–vi–IV–V, the doo-wop changes.

The pop progression from its minor chord

vi | IV | I | V

Key Chord chart

vi–IV–I–V: the pop progression started on its minor chord, which gives it a sadder sound.

The royal road

IV | V | iii | vi

Key Chord chart

IV–V–iii–vi, a favourite of Japanese pop.

ii–V–I

ii7 | V7 | Imaj7 | Imaj7

Key Chord chart

The turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The relative minor: F minor

F minor has the same notes and the same seven chords as A♭ major, starting from F. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel minor, G♯ minor, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Play it with a capo

A♭ major takes barre chords on mandolin. A capo lets you play it with the open shapes of an easier key:

Capo 1, the shapes of G major: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯dim
Capo 6, the shapes of D major: D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm and C♯dim

The A♭ major scale and key signature

The notes of A♭ major are A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G. Its key signature has four flats: A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the A♭ major scale on the mandolin neck, and the A♭ major pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, E♭ major and D♭ major sit on either side of A♭ major. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on guitar, bass, ukulele and banjo.