Ab6

Ab6 is Ab, C, Eb and F, a major sixth. The shape this page opens on is written x31111, lowest string first.

Also written Abmaj6, AbM6 or Ab major 6. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for Ab6 on the guitar, and 27 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of Ab6 belongs to C minor (the ♭VI), C# major (the V), Eb major (the IV), F minor (the ♭III), Ab major (the I) and Bb minor (the ♭VII).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x31111, 433111, 131141, 4x354x, 4x6564, 46x564, xx6868, x-11-10-10-9-x, x-11-13-13-13-13.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Ab6 has 433xxx, x-11-10-10-x-x, 4x35xx, x-11-x-10-13-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Ab6 has xx1111, 1311xx, xx3544, x6656x, xx6868, 8868xx, x-8-10-8-9-x, x-x-10-10-9-11.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Ab6 has x3x141, 1x111x, 4x354x, x6x564, 8x686x, x8x898, 11-x-10-10-9-x, x-11-x-10-13-11.

Tensions. A shell of Ab6, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (Bb) and the #11 (D).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.