Abaug7

Abaug7 is Ab, C, E and Gb, a augmented seventh. The shape this page opens on is written 4x4550, lowest string first.

Also written Ab7#5, Ab+7 or Ab7(#5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for Abaug7 on the guitar, and 31 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 4x4550, 434x5x, xx6978, x-11-10-11-9-0, x-11-10-11-x-12, x-11-14-11-13-12.

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. Abaug7 has 4x455x, x-11-x-11-13-12.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Abaug7 has xx2112, 2321xx, xx4554, x7657x, x-9-10-9-9-x, 12-11-10-11-x-x, x-x-14-13-13-14, 14-15-14-13-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Abaug7 has x3x152, 2x211x, x7x574, 4x455x, 8x697x, x9x998, 12-x-10-11-9-x, x-11-x-11-13-12.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Abaug7 has 47450x, 004554, 070574, 00450x, 00057x, 0x0502.

Tensions. A shell of Abaug7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the b9 (Bbb), the 9 (Bb), the #9 (B) 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.