Abminor

Abm is Ab, Cb and Eb, a minor triad. The shape this page opens on is written 4211x4, lowest string first.

Note by note. Ab is the root, Cb is the minor third and Eb is the fifth.

Also written Abmin, Ab- or Ab minor. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Abm on the guitar, and 45 derived voicings in the triad family.

One note away. Change a single note of Abm and you have Ab (with one note moved), Abdim (with one note moved), Absus2 (with one note moved), Absus4 (with one note moved), Abm6 (with one note added) or Abm7 (with one note added).

In which keys. Every note of Abm belongs to C# minor (the v), Eb minor (the iv), E major (the iii), F# major (the ii), Ab minor (the i) and B major (the vi).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 4211x4, 466444, xx6444, xx6897, xx9897, x-11-9-8-9-x, x-11-13-13-12-11, x-14-13-13-12-x.

Under the hand. None of the shapes for Abm uses an open string, so every one of them is movable; the lowest sits at the 1st fret. 2 of the 8 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 14th.

Triad. Three notes across one string set. Abm has x211xx, xx110x, x2110x, xx644x, xxx444, x664xx, xx6444, 4664xx.

What kind of chord this is. Abm is a minor chord — root, minor third, fifth. minor chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.