Mapping the Ab Major Scale
Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F and G are the notes of the Ab major scale, a key with four flats. No open string is part of the root, so every shape is movable and you place it by finding Ab alone.
That happens on the 4th fret of the low E string, or the 11th fret of the A string. F minor is the relative minor. A handy way to hear how each note relates to the root is fretboard intervals.
Play the Ab major scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the Ab major scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ab | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Bb | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| C | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| Db | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Eb | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| F | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
| G | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
Ab major scale notes:
How the major scale is built:
The major scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, which gives the step pattern W-W-H-W-W-W-H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is the parent scale of its own modal family.
It is also known as Ionian.
Ab Major 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 major scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the major scale, starting from a different degree.
The major scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
