Piano · Level 4 · Beginner
Dominant seventh chords in A♭ major on Piano
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Adding a flat seventh to a major chord gives the bluesy, restless sound of a dominant seventh. Blues players often use it on every chord.
A♭7
Notes: A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭
D♭7
Notes: D♭ · F · A♭ · C♭
E♭7
Notes: E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: A♭7, D♭7 and E♭7. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Keep the right hand curved over the keys and move it as one unit between chords.
- Set the tempo to 57 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Find the seventh in each shape and make sure it is actually sounding.
- Play the left-hand bass note on beat one and the right-hand chord on every beat.
- Raise the tempo to 76 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for the slight bite of the seventh against the root.
Listen for
Aim for the slight bite of the seventh against the root. A common mistake is leaving out the seventh so the chord sounds plain major.
Why it works
A dominant seventh contains a tritone between its third and seventh, which creates the urge to resolve.
A♭ major has 4 flats; its relative minor key is F minor.
Questions
What are the chords in I7–IV7–V7 in A♭ major?
In A♭ major the progression is A♭7 | A♭7 | D♭7 | D♭7 | A♭7 | A♭7 | E♭7 | A♭7.
What is the key signature of A♭ major?
A♭ major has 4 flats. Its relative minor is F minor.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 4 lesson (beginner). If it feels too hard, start with “The minor pop progression”.
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