A♭ Major Scale
The A♭ major scale has seven notes: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F and G. It has 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭), and it is the relative major of F minor.
Notes
- A♭1
- B♭2
- C3
- D♭4
- E♭5
- F6
- G7
Step pattern: W – W – H – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step)
| Degree | Note | Interval from A♭ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | Root |
| 2 | B♭ | Major 2nd |
| 3 | C | Major 3rd |
| 4 | D♭ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | E♭ | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | F | Major 6th |
| 7 | G | Major 7th |
On the piano
On the guitar
Root Scale tone
Key signature
A♭ major has 4 flats: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭. See it on the circle of fifths →
Chords in the key of A♭ major
| Numeral | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| I | A♭ | A♭maj7 |
| ii | B♭m | B♭m7 |
| iii | Cm | Cm7 |
| IV | D♭ | D♭maj7 |
| V | E♭ | E♭7 |
| vi | Fm | Fm7 |
| vii° | Gdim | Gm7♭5 |
Common progressions
- Three-chordA♭ – D♭ – E♭I – IV – V
- Pop ("four chords")A♭ – E♭ – Fm – D♭I – V – vi – IV
- Jazz ii–V–IB♭m – E♭ – A♭ii – V – I
- 50s doo-wopA♭ – Fm – D♭ – E♭I – vi – IV – V
Related scales
Practise it
- G major, three notes per stringTechnique · moved up 1 fret into A♭
- Legato trills (hammer-ons & pull-offs)Technique · moved down 4 frets into A♭
- ii–V–I lineJazz · moved up 8 frets into A♭
Explore it on the full fretboard · Piano scale explorer · Metronome