Major scale · 7 notes
A♭ major scale on guitar
The A♭ major scale (A flat major scale) has 7 notes: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F and G. The do-re-mi scale: seven notes, bright and resolved, and the reference point every other scale is measured against. You may also see it written as G♯ major, but A♭ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- A♭
- B♭
- C
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G
Formula
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Steps
W – W – H – W – W – W – H
Sound
Bright, stable and happy
A♭ major on the whole fretboard
Every A♭ major note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, A♭, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
A♭ at fret 4. 3rd position: frets 3–7.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of A♭ major as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from A♭, the A♭ major scale is built from these intervals. It contains 4 flats (A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭).
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | root | 0 |
| 2 | B♭ | major 2nd | 2 |
| 3 | C | major 3rd | 4 |
| 4 | D♭ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | E♭ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | F | major 6th | 9 |
| 7 | G | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in A♭ major
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to A♭ major: any of them will sound at home under a melody in A♭ major.
- IA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭maj7
- iiB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
- iiiCmC · E♭ · GCm7
- IVD♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭maj7
- VE♭E♭ · G · B♭E♭7
- viFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- vii°G°G · B♭ · D♭Gm7♭5
Progressions to try
- A♭ – D♭ – E♭ I–IV–V · rock, blues, country
- A♭ – E♭ – Fm – D♭ I–V–vi–IV · the “four chord” pop progression
- B♭m – E♭ – A♭ ii–V–I · jazz cadence
- A♭ – Fm – D♭ – E♭ I–vi–IV–V · 50s progression
How to use A♭ major
Reach for it over songs in a major key, over major chords and major 7th chords, and anywhere the music sounds settled and upbeat. Its sound is bright, stable and happy.
Tip: Learn one shape rooted on the 6th string and one rooted on the 5th string. Between them you can play the major scale in any key without leaving one area of the neck.
- F minor is the relative minor of A♭ major: same seven notes, but F is home. See F minor.
Where to find A♭ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every A♭ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with A♭ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 4 |
| B (2nd) | 9 |
| G (3rd) | 1 |
| D (4th) | 6 |
| A (5th) | 11 |
| Low E (6th) | 4 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as A♭ major. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
A♭ major scale FAQ
What notes are in the A♭ major scale?
The A♭ major scale has 7 notes: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F and G. Its formula is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. It contains 4 flats (A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭).
What chords are in A♭ major?
Harmonising the A♭ major scale in thirds gives A♭ (I), B♭m (ii), Cm (iii), D♭ (IV), E♭ (V), Fm (vi) and G° (vii°).
Where do you play the A♭ major scale on guitar?
The root, A♭, is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 3–7, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as A♭ major?
F minor is the relative minor of A♭ major: same seven notes, but F is home.