Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| A♭ | Root | 1 |
| C | Major 3rd | 3 |
| E♭ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| F | Major 6th | 6 |
| B♭ | Major 2nd | 2 |
Fingering
| Note | Key color | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | black | thumb (1) | little finger (5) |
| C | white | index finger (2) | ring finger (4) |
| E♭ | black | middle finger (3) | middle finger (3) |
| F | white | ring finger (4) | index finger (2) |
| B♭ | black | little finger (5) | thumb (1) |
Right hand: thumb (1) on A♭, index finger (2) on C, middle finger (3) on E♭, ring finger (4) on F, little finger (5) on B♭.
Left hand: little finger (5) on A♭, ring finger (4) on C, middle finger (3) on E♭, index finger (2) on F, thumb (1) on B♭.
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the A♭ 6/9 is the tonic (I) chord of A♭ Major, whose key signature has 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of A♭ Major
These are the triads built on each degree of A♭ Major:
Same Notes, Other Names
The notes A♭ – C – E♭ – F – B♭ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell: