Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| A♭ | Root | 1 |
| C♭ | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| E | Minor 6th | ♯5 |
| G♭ | Minor 7th | ♭7 |
Fingering
| Note | Key color | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | black | index finger (2) | little finger (5) |
| C♭ | white | middle finger (3) | ring finger (4) |
| E | white | ring finger (4) | middle finger (3) |
| G♭ | black | little finger (5) | index finger (2) |
Right hand: index finger (2) on A♭, middle finger (3) on C♭, ring finger (4) on E, little finger (5) on G♭.
Left hand: little finger (5) on A♭, ring finger (4) on C♭, middle finger (3) on E, index finger (2) on G♭.
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the A♭ Minor 7♯5 is the tonic (i) chord of A♭ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, C♭ Major: 7 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭).
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♭ Minor
These are the triads built on each degree of A♭ Minor:
Same Notes, Other Names
The notes A♭ – C♭ – E – G♭ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell: