G#/A♭ Major 7th
1st FretLow-position 4-string voicing — partial barre across D, G, and B at fret 1 with the index, plus ring on high e fret 3. Strum the top four strings only. The G on the high e is the major 7th that gives the chord its colour.
G#/A♭ Major 7th
4th FretA compact 4-string maj7 voicing with the root on the low E string at fret 4. Index on low E fret 4 (root), middle on B fret 4 (5th), ring on D fret 5 (maj7), pinky on G fret 5 (3rd). Mute the A and high e strings. No barre required.
G#/A♭ Major 7th
11th FretA-shape barre chord rooted on G#/A♭ at the 11th fret. Mute the low E; barre fret 11 with your index, ring on D fret 13, middle on G fret 12, pinky on B fret 13.
G#/A♭ Major 7th
6th FretD-shape moveable voicing with the root on the D string at fret 6. Index on D fret 6, then ring/middle/pinky (or a small barre) across G, B, and high e at fret 8. A compact mid-position voicing — strum the top four strings only.
G#/A♭ Major 7th
3rd FretA Drop 2 voicing on the top four strings — root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th stacked in order. Pinky on D fret 6, ring on G fret 5, middle on B fret 4, index on high e fret 3. A go-to jazz comping shape with a clear, sparkling sound.
Tips for Playing the G#maj7 / A♭maj7 Chord
Start with the low partial barre
The xx-1-1-1-3 voicing only uses two fingers — an index barre across three strings and your ring finger one fret behind the third fret. It is the easiest entry point to G#maj7.
Mute the low strings
In the xx-1-1-1-3 and D-shape voicings, the low E and A do not contain chord tones. Aim your strum to start cleanly from the D string.
Use it in flat keys
A♭maj7 is the I chord in A♭ major and a common chord in jazz standards. The E-shape barre at fret 4 and A-shape barre at fret 11 are essential moveable voicings to learn.
Move the barre shapes
The E-shape at fret 4 and A-shape at fret 11 are fully moveable — slide them up or down to play any major 7th chord.
Drop 2 for jazz comping
The xx-6-5-4-3 Drop 2 shape stacks the chord tones in order (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). It is the classic jazz comping voicing — great for chord-melody and swing rhythm.
Half-step relationship
A♭maj7 is one fret below Amaj7 — sliding between the two A-shape barres is a great exercise to feel how maj7 chords move chromatically.
About the G#maj7 / A♭maj7 Chord on Guitar
The G#maj7 / A♭maj7 chord is built from four notes: G# (or A♭), C, D# (or E♭), and G. It is the G#/A♭ major triad with an added major 7th, giving the chord a warm, dreamy, slightly bittersweet quality. A♭maj7 is one of the most important chords in jazz and soul, and the I chord of A♭ major — a popular key for ballads and standards. This page covers five voicings, from a low-position partial barre to advanced barre and Drop 2 jazz voicings. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound. G#maj7 is enharmonically identical to A♭maj7 — the same chord, spelled differently depending on the key.
- 015 G#maj7/A♭maj7 chord shapes from intermediate to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Low partial barre, E-shape barre, A-shape barre, D-shape, and Drop 2 jazz voicings
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the G#/A♭ Major 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every major chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth.