Abm7 guitar chord

1st inversion · Cb in the bass
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About Abm7 — uncommon voicings

Abm7 is Ab, Cb, Eb and Gb. It keeps the triad and adds the .

In the pair below, the flat 7th replaces a repeated root. Compare with Abm7 to hear that one note change.

Hear the change

One repeated root moves down a whole step to the minor seventh. The other notes stay the same.

A common place to use Abm7 is the start of a ii–V. It moves to Db7, the dominant chord a fourth higher.

Also written Abmin7, Ab-7 or Ab minor 7.

Abm7 uncommon guitar chord diagram: Ab, Cb, Eb, Gb, played x2414x
Abm7 uncommon guitar chord voicing: x-2-4-1-4-x.

What these less common shapes are

How to use Abm7

1The ii of a ii–V, and a chain of them

ii in G♭ major

Abm7 is the ii of G♭ major: it leads to the dominant a fourth higher. ii–Vs can be chained so each dominant leads to the next ii, and each minor chord’s seventh falls a half step to the next dominant’s third.

Listen for: One line walks down a half step per chord through the whole chain, and holds on the last as the major seventh.

2One shape, two chords

change the bass

Abm7 has exactly the notes of B6. Hold the shape and put the key’s root under it, and the vi chord becomes the I. That is why the vi can stand in for the home chord.

Listen for: Only the bass moves, up a minor third. The four notes above it never change.

Other uses

From the books, without a worked example
  • The vi of a turnaround
    vi in B major

    Abm7 is the vi of the basic turnaround in B major. In jazz it is usually replaced by an altered dominant on the same root.

    1. Bmaj7
    2. Abm7
    3. C#m7
    4. F#7
  • Changed to m6 in the next bar
    i in A♭ minor

    When a minor ii–V lands on Abm7 and the chord lasts two bars, the second bar can turn it into Abm6 or a minor-major seventh, melody permitting.

    1. Bbm7b5
    2. Ebalt
    3. Abm7
    4. Abm6

    Go to the Abm6 page to hear it →

In which keys. Every note of Abm7 belongs to C# minor, Eb minor, E major, F# major, Ab minor and B major.

What to play over Abm7

Useful scales

Every scale

Chords near Abm7

Change one note

Add a note

Minor chords on every root

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in how this site is built.

Midi Settings

7.5
Play Style
One pass of the pick from the lowest string up, everything left ringing.
Instrument
350
150

Style

Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.

Layout

Left Handed Mode