A♭6 chord on ukulele

A♭6 is A♭, C, E♭ and F. The usual shape is 1-3-1-3. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

1-3-1-3 · movable · medium

Notes: A♭ · C · E♭ · F
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
First shape: 1-3-1-3

How to play A♭6 on ukulele

Shape 1, 1-3-1-3, reading from the G string on the left:

A♭: index finger, 1st fret of the G string.
F: middle finger, 1st fret of the E string.
E♭: ring finger, 3rd fret of the C string.
C: pinky finger, 3rd fret of the A string.

Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.
Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.

Other ways to play A♭6

5-5-4-6: movable shape at the 4th fret, medium. Use it when the next chord sits nearby on the neck.
8-8-8-8: movable shape at the 8th fret, medium. Up the neck the chord gets thinner and brighter, a good contrast to the open version.

Capo shortcuts for A♭6

A capo turns an open chord into A♭6: capo on the 1st fret and play the open G6 shape (0-2-0-2) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open D6 shape (2-2-2-2). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Moving between A♭6 and its neighbours

The chords A♭6 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

C♯ (IV in A♭ major): A♭6 (1-3-1-3) to C♯ (6-5-4-4): move the index finger to the E string, 4th fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 4th fret, your ring finger lands on the C string, 5th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. A♭ and F carry over from one chord to the other. C♯ on ukulele
E♭ (V in A♭ major): A♭6 (1-3-1-3) to E♭ (0-3-3-1): move the index finger to the A string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the C string, 3rd fret, the ring finger slides across to the E string at the same fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared note: E♭. E♭ on ukulele
Fm (vi in A♭ major): A♭6 (1-3-1-3) to Fm (1-0-1-3): your index and middle fingers stay put, move the ring finger to the A string, 3rd fret. Very little moves, so this change comes fast. Listen for A♭, C and F, which stay put while the rest moves. Fm on ukulele

A♭6 is A♭ major with a major sixth added. All 4 notes of A♭6 fit on the ukulele's four strings. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Practice A♭6 in two minutes

Before strumming, play 1-3-1-3 note by note: A♭ then E♭ then F then C. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Finish by moving between 1-3-1-3 and 5-5-4-6 to learn two positions of the same chord.

G♯6 is another spelling of A♭6. Same shape, same sound.

Where A♭6 shows up

A♭6 on guitar and piano

A♭6 on guitar and piano uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to A♭6

Other major sixth chords

A♭6 on ukulele: questions

What notes are in A♭6 on ukulele?

A♭, C, E♭ and F. In the 1-3-1-3 shape the strings play A♭ (G string), E♭ (C string), F (E string) and C (A string).

What's the easiest way to play A♭6 on ukulele?

A♭6 has no open-string shape in standard tuning, so every version needs a barre or a stretch. Start with 1-3-1-3. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is A♭6 a barre chord on ukulele?

Not the usual shape: 1-3-1-3 needs no barre.

Which string does A♭6 start on?

In the 1-3-1-3 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 1st fret, which is A♭, the root.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside A♭6. Updated September 2026.