A♭ bebop major contains A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, F, and G. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 4 for a low-position run.
A♭ bebop major contains A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, F, and G. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 4 for a low-position run.
A♭ bebop major adds F♭, the ♭6, to A♭ major's seven notes. The added ♭6 creates a chromatic step between F and G, smoothing ascending lines. A♭ major supplies the parent scale; the bebop variant keeps its major 3rd and major 7th.
A♭ bebop major fits A♭ major and A♭ 5th chords. Use it over A♭ major progressions in jazz and swing. The ♭6 works as a passing tone to the 6th or 7th.
Practise Box 1 first. It keeps the root under your first finger and covers frets 0–3 for quick two-octave runs.
A♭ bebop major in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 11 notes across 4 strings, from F♭ on the E string at fret 0 up to B♭ on the G string at fret 3. The root falls on the G string at fret 1.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 1, 3 | F♭, F, G |
| 3 (A) | 1, 3 | B♭, C |
| 2 (D) | 1, 2, 3 | E♭, F♭, F |
| 1 (G) | 0, 1, 3 | G, A♭, B♭ |
A♭ bebop major in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 9 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to D♭ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 6 | A♭, B♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 6, 7 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 5, 6 | G, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 5, 6 | C, D♭ |
A♭ bebop major in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 11 notes across 4 strings, from B♭ on the E string at fret 6 up to F♭ on the G string at fret 9. The root falls on the D string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 8, 9 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 3 (A) | 6, 7, 8 | E♭, F♭, F |
| 2 (D) | 6, 8 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (G) | 6, 8, 9 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
A♭ bebop major in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 12 notes across 4 strings, from C on the E string at fret 8 up to F on the G string at fret 10. The root falls on the A string at fret 11.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8, 9, 11 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (A) | 8, 10, 11 | F, G, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 8, 10, 11 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 1 (G) | 8, 9, 10 | E♭, F♭, F |
A♭ bebop major in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 10 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the E string at fret 11 up to A♭ on the G string at fret 13. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 12, 13 | E♭, F♭, F |
| 3 (A) | 11, 13 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13, 14 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 12, 13 | G, A♭ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
A♭ bebop major contains A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, F, and G. The added F♭ is the ♭6. This creates an eight-note scale. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
A♭ bebop major fits A♭ major and A♭ 5th chords. The ♭6 is a passing tone, not a chord tone. Use it on dominant or major seventh chords.
The ♭6, F♭, sits between the 5th and 6th. It creates a chromatic passing tone into F or G. This smooths ascending lines in jazz and swing.