Ab Arabic with Ebb and Fb

Play the Ab arabic scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the Ab arabic scale

Structure

Ab arabic scale notes:

Ab Bb C Db Ebb Fb Gb

How the arabic scale is built:

The arabic scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 4 b5 b6 b7, which gives the step pattern W-W-H-H-W-W-W (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is also known as Major Locrian.

Ab Arabic Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

On one string (G)

Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 5

3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the Ab arabic scale

Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.

Scales with the same notes as Ab Arabic

These scales use exactly the same notes. Each one starts somewhere else, so the root and the mood change.

Other scales on Ab

Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.

• Ab Bizantine: shares 4 notes
• Ab Persian: shares 5 notes
• Ab Phrygian Dominant: shares 5 notes
• Ab Mixolydian b6: 5 instead of b5
• Ab Aeolian b5: b3 instead of 3

The arabic scale in other keys

All about the arabic scale →

Keep learning

• More exotic scales for guitar
• Playing scales diagonally