Ab Dominant 7th Piano Chord
The Notes in an Ab Dominant Chord
The Root
The root of the chord is always the easiest to find because it's in the name of the chord! The root of an Ab Dominant chord is Ab.
The 3rd
The third of an Ab Dominant chord is C. The third is up four half-steps from the Root.
Finding C from Ab step by step:
- Start on: Ab
- Step 1: move up to A
- Step 2: move up to Bb
- Step 3: move up to Cb
- Step 4: Land on C
- A is a minor second above Ab.
- Bb is a major 2nd above Ab.
- Cb is a minor third above Ab.
- C is a major third above Ab.
The Min 7th
The minor seventh of an Ab Dominant chord is Gb. The minor seventh is down two half-steps from the Root.
Finding Gb from Ab step by step:
- Start on: Ab
- Step 1: move down to G
- Step 2: Land on Gb
- G is a minor second below Ab.
- Gb is a major 2nd below Ab. The min 7th is down a major 2nd? Confusing, right? The note Gb is down 2 half-steps from Ab, but up 10 half-steps from Ab:
The Inversions of Ab Dominant
Root Position
1st Inversion
2nd Inversion
3rd Inversion
How to find Ab Dominant 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 whole-step down (two keys to the left on the piano) and the other note (the fourth) a half-step to the left (on key 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".
