Ab6 guitar chord: 5 ways to play Ab major 6th (G#6)

Ways to play A♭6

Lowest on the neck first. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.

What's in A♭6

A major 6th chord adds the 6th to a major triad: A♭6 is A♭, C, E♭, F. Those are the same notes as Fm7, so the name depends on which note is in the bass and what the music around it is doing.

Note	Formula	Interval from A♭
A♭	1	Root
C	3	Major 3rd
E♭	5	Perfect 5th
F	6	Major 6th

Sweet and a little vintage. It is a common last chord in swing, and the major-to-6th shuffle is a rock and roll rhythm part all by itself.

Keys that use A♭6

Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of A♭, C, E♭ and F, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.

Key	A♭6 is the
A♭ major	I6
E♭ major	IV6
D♭ major	V6
C minor	VI6
F minor	III6
B♭ minor	VII6

Progressions to try

ii–V–I6 in A♭ major

Ending on a 6th chord is a swing-era sound, sweeter than a maj7.

I–I6 in A♭ major

Alternating a major chord with its 6th, the shuffle pattern behind a lot of early rock and roll.

Other chords on A♭:

See every chord in the library

A♭6 chord