Ab Major

A flat Major scale for guitar.
The Ab Major is a seven-note scale. Notes are displayed in the diagram with blue color with the root notes indicated by darker color. The root notes are always Ab tones. In the two-octave pattern, the first root note is on the 6th string, 4th fret.

Ab Major 2 octaves

Ab Major full fretboard

Ab Major note names

Shape 1 (3rd position) with fingerings

Shape 2 (6th position) with fingerings

Shape 3 (8th position) with fingerings

Shape 4 (10th position) with fingerings

Shape 5 (12th position) with fingerings

Notes: Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G

Intervals: 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1

Type: Septonic 

The scale displayed with its numeric formula and scale degrees.

Formula
Notes
Intervals
Degrees

1
Ab
Unison
Tonic

2
Bb
Major second
Supertonic

3
C
Major third
Mediant

4
Db
Augmented fourth
Subdominant

5
Eb
Perfect fifth
Dominant

6
F
Sixth
Submediant

7
G
Major seventh
Leading tone

The interval formula (2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1) can be expound into specific notes of the scale.

Notes (ascending)
Interval

Ab-Bb
M2

Ab-C
M3

Ab-Db
P4

Ab-Eb
P5

Ab-F
M6

Ab-G
M7

Notes (descending)
Interval

Ab-G
m2

Ab-F
m3

Ab-Eb
P4

Ab-Db
P5

Ab-C
m6

Ab-Bb
m7

Abbreviations are used: M / m stands for major / minor and P stands for perfect.

The main three-note and four-note chords that are related to this scale are the following:

Chord
Fingering
Chord
Fingering

Ab
466544
Abmaj7
465544

Bbm
X13321
Bbm7
X13121

Cm
X35543
Cm7
X35343

Db
X46664
Dbmaj7
X46564

Eb
X68886
Eb7
X68686

Fm
133111
Fm7
131111

Gdim
XX5686
Gm7b5
XX5666

The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the Ab Major scale in which Ab is the tonic triad and Abmaj7 the tonic 7th chord.
The second and fourth columns include short notations for the chords in the first and third columns respectively. These are based on common ways to play the chord, but there are other alternatives. See more about this notation system on the FAQ page.

The A flat Major consists of seven notes. These can be described as intervals, as semi-notes or steps on the guitar fingerboard, written as 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1 from the first note to the next octave.
The scale can be played on the guitar from different starting positions in which Ab functions as the root tone.
The Ab Major is relative to F Minor, which means that both scales include the same notes but with different tonal center.
The Ab Major
is identical with the Ab Ionian mode.

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The A flat scale presented in sheet music notation.

The sheet music includes two octaves played ascending and descending.