Ab Diminished 7th Piano Chord
The Notes in an Ab Diminished 7th Chord
The Root
You'll have no trouble finding the root of an Ab Diminished 7th chord, because it's what gives an Ab Diminished 7th chord it's name: It's the note Ab.
The Min 3rd
The minor third of an Ab Diminished 7th chord is Cb. The minor third is up three half-steps from the Root.
Finding Cb from Ab step by step:
- Start on: Ab
- Step 1: move up to A
- Step 2: move up to Bb
- Step 3: Land on Cb
- A is a minor second above Ab.
- Bb is a major 2nd above Ab.
- Cb is a minor third above Ab.
The Maj 6th
The major sixth of an Ab Diminished 7th chord is F. The major sixth is down three half-steps from the Root (a minor third down).
In diminished chords, the major sixth is also known as the diminished seventh. For the purposes of this tutorial, we'll be learning it as the major sixth, since it's easier to consider it separately than the other two sevenths, the major seventh (M7) and minor seventh (m7)
Finding F from Ab step by step:
- Start on: Ab
- Step 1: move down to G
- Step 2: move down to Gb
- Step 3: Land on F
- G is a minor second below Ab.
- Gb is a major 2nd below Ab.
- F is a minor third below Ab. The maj 6th is down a minor third? Confusing, right? The note F is down 3 half-steps from Ab, but up 9 half-steps from Ab:
The Inversions of Ab Diminished 7th
Root Position
1st Inversion
2nd Inversion
3rd Inversion
How to find Ab Diminished 7th with my three-finger-method
This is the method taught in my book "How to Speed Read Piano Chord Symbols"
Step 1) Use the Fourth
Find the Root and the Fourth up from the Root. (See my tutorial on finding fourths).
Step 2) Move the right hand down
Move the root a minor third down (three keys to the left on the piano) and the other note (the fourth) a whole-step to the left (two keys down on the piano).
How to Find 7th Chords with Nate's Three Finger Method
- Major 7th chords: bring both fingers down a half-step
- Minor 7th chords: bring both fingers down a whole-step
- Dominant 7th chords: bring the Root down a whole-step, the fourth down a half-step
- Diminished 7th chords: bring the Root down a minor third, the fourth down a whole-step
If you would like to learn more about my method, pick up "How to Speed Read Piano Chord Symbols".
