A♭, the A♭ major guitar chord

A♭ is the F grip slid up three frets: the index barres all six strings at the 4th fret while the other fingers hold the same shape above it. If F ever fought you, this is your reward, because the identical grip presses easier here, away from the stiff strings at the nut. A♭ sits next to E♭ in the flat keys soul and gospel live in. The G string is still the one to watch: the barre alone frets it, and it’s the first note to die when the index arches. Strum all six and listen for it.

A♭
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How to play it

  • Index finger flattened across the low E string (6th), B string (2nd) and high E string (1st), 4th fret.
  • Middle finger on the G string (3rd), 5th fret.
  • Ring finger on the A string (5th), 6th fret.
  • Pinky on the D string (4th), 6th fret.

Changes to practice

Holding A♭ still is the easy part. Songs need you to arrive at it in rhythm, so in Strumhold you practice A♭ as changes, alongside the rest of the Barres in Every Key set:

Same root, different color