How do you play the Bb 7(no5)/Ab chord?

To play the Bb 7(no5)/Ab chord on piano, play the Bb 7(no5) chord (Bb, D and Ab) with Ab as the lowest bass note. Place the Ab note below the other chord tones. Slash chords specify a particular bass note different from the chord root.

What is a slash chord?

A slash chord (or compound chord) is written as Chord/Bass and specifies both a chord and a bass note. The note to the right of the slash is played as the lowest note. The Bb 7(no5)/Ab chord means a Bb 7(no5) chord with Ab in the bass.

Bb 7(no5)/Ab

Q: What notes are in the Bb 7(no5)/Ab chord?

The Bb 7(no5)/Ab chord uses the 3 notes of the Bb 7(no5) chord — Bb (Perfect unison), D (Major third) and Ab (Minor seventh) — with Ab played as the bass note in the lowest register.

The Bb 7(no5) chord consists of the Bb (Perfect unison), D (Major third) and Ab (Minor seventh) notes, with Ab as the bass note.

Piano keyboard showing the notes for a Bb 7(no5)/Ab chord

How to play the Bb 7(no5)/Ab chord

Play Ab as the lowest bass note in the left hand
Find Bb (Root) on the piano keyboard
Add D (Major third) — 4 semitones above Bb
Add Ab (Minor seventh) — 10 semitones above Bb
Press all 4 notes simultaneously to sound the Bb 7(no5)/Ab chord

Inversions with same root

G# sus2(b5)

Related chords with different root

Bb 7(no5)

Related slash chords

Bb 3/Ab