Also written Blues
A♭ blues minor runs A♭, C♭, D♭, E♭♭, E♭, G♭ with a 1½, W, H, H, 1½, W step pattern. Box 1 places the root at string 4, fret 4 and covers frets 4–7.
A♭ blues minor adds the ♭5 (E♭♭) to A♭ minor pentatonic, creating the six-note blues scale. The ♭5 sits between the 4 (D♭) and 5 (E♭) as a passing tone. This scale is a minor pentatonic with one chromatic addition, not a mode of the major scale.
A♭ blues minor fits A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords in blues, rock, and funk. Use it over A♭ minor progressions when the ♭5 adds tension. The scale also works over B major for a bluesy colour.
Practise Box 1 first. The root sits on string 4, fret 4, and the range covers frets 4–7 for easy access to the ♭5.
A♭ blues minor in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to E♭♭ on the G string at fret 7. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 7 | A♭, C♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 5, 6 | D♭, E♭♭, E♭ |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6 | G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 6, 7 | C♭, D♭, E♭♭ |
A♭ blues minor in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 9 notes across 4 strings, from D♭ on the E string at fret 9 up to G♭ on the G string at fret 11. The root falls on the A string at fret 11.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9, 10, 11 | D♭, E♭♭, E♭ |
| 3 (A) | 9, 11 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 9, 11, 12 | C♭, D♭, E♭♭ |
| 1 (G) | 11 | G♭ |
A♭ blues minor in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 9 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, 14 | E♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 11, 14 | A♭, C♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 12, 13 | D♭, E♭♭, E♭ |
| 1 (G) | 11, 13 | G♭, A♭ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
A♭ blues minor contains A♭, C♭, D♭, E♭♭, E♭, and G♭. The E♭♭ is the ♭5, also called the blue note. The scale spans one octave from A♭ to A♭. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
A♭ blues minor fits A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords. The ♭5 creates tension that resolves to the 4 or 5. Use it over dominant seventh chords for a blues sound.
A♭ blues minor adds the ♭5 (E♭♭) to A♭ minor pentatonic. The pentatonic has five notes; the blues scale has six. The extra note is a passing tone between D♭ and E♭.