A♭7♯5

Ab Dominant 7th Sharp 5 — the augmented dominant — the raised fifth leans hard into the resolution a fifth below.

The keys
C4C5C6
A♭ – C – E – G♭
What's inside A♭7♯5
NoteInterval from rootDegree
A♭Root1
CMajor 3rd3
EAugmented 5th#5
G♭Minor 7thb7
Inversions
PositionKeys (low → high)
Root positionA♭4 – C5 – E5 – G♭5
1st inversionC5 – E5 – G♭5 – A♭5
2nd inversionE5 – G♭5 – A♭5 – C6
3rd inversionG♭5 – A♭5 – C6 – E6
A working voicing

Split the chord between two hands the way working players do — a solid shell low down, the colour tones up top:

HandKeys
Left (shell)A♭2 – G♭3
Right (colour)C5 – E5
Where A♭7♯5 lives

Hard resolution

A♭7♯5 → D♭m9

Altered dominants resolve with maximum drama — especially into minor.

Chromatic approach

E♭m7 → A♭7♯5 → D♭

The alteration sharpens the pull of the standard two-five.

Put A♭7♯5 under your fingers

Hear every voicing, see the keys light up, and drill it in the interactive Chord & Voicing Lab.

Open the Chord & Voicing Lab →