A♭ sixth (A♭6) chord on banjo

The A♭ sixth chord (A♭6) is a major sixth chord (a major triad plus a major sixth), made of four notes: A♭ – C – E♭ – F. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ sixth (G♯6).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 5medium

Position 3medium

Position 9medium

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What the A♭6 chord sounds like

A sixth chord is a major triad with an added major sixth. It has a cheerful, vintage swing colour and often stands in for the tonic in jazz and swing. It has the same notes as the relative minor seventh (C6 = Am7).

Notes of the A♭6 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
3	C	major third (4 semitones)
5	E♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
6	F	major sixth (9 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 3, little finger (F4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, ring finger (C4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, middle finger (A♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 1, index finger (E♭3)

Position 5

String 1 (D): fret 6, little finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, ring finger (F4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, middle finger (A♭3)

Position 3

String 1 (D): fret 3, index finger (F4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, middle finger (E♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, ring finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, little finger (A♭3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A♭6 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A♭ major: I6 (tonic)
D♭ major: V6 (dominant)
E♭ major: IV6 (subdominant)
B♭ minor: VII6
F minor: III6
C minor: VI6

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭6 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Fm – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
Cm – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
A♭maj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
A♭sus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Same notes

Fm7 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

A♭ – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

A♭13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭6 chord?

A♭, C, E♭, F. The root is A♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, major sixth.

What is the easiest way to play A♭6 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some A♭6 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (E♭) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the A♭6 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭6 (also written Ab6), and its full name is A♭ sixth.