Also written Egyptian, Shang or Standard Slendro
A♭ neutral pentatonic contains A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭, and G♭. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 4 for a compact shape.
A♭ neutral pentatonic is A♭ minor pentatonic with the ♭3 raised to a major 2nd. The scale keeps the perfect 4th, perfect 5th, and minor 7th, but the major 2nd replaces the minor 3rd. Compare it with A♭ minor pentatonic to hear the difference.
A♭ neutral pentatonic fits A♭ 5th and A♭ suspended 2nd chords. Use it over D♭ 5th and C♯ suspended 2nd for a suspended sound. The major 2nd adds openness to rock and folk lines.
Practise Box 1 first. The root sits on string 4, fret 4, giving a compact shape that avoids open strings.
A♭ neutral pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 8 notes across 4 strings, from B♭ on the E string at fret 6 up to E♭ on the G string at fret 8. The root falls on the D string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 9 | B♭, D♭ |
| 3 (A) | 6, 9 | E♭, G♭ |
| 2 (D) | 6, 8 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
A♭ neutral pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 8 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, 13 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13 | D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (G) | 11, 13 | G♭, A♭ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
A♭ neutral pentatonic contains A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭, and G♭. The scale degrees are 1, 2, 4, 5, and ♭7. It has no tritone or leading tone. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
A♭ neutral pentatonic fits A♭ 5th and A♭ suspended 2nd chords. It also works over D♭ 5th and C♯ suspended 2nd. The major 2nd creates a suspended, open sound.
A♭ neutral pentatonic raises the ♭3 of A♭ minor pentatonic to a major 2nd. The other notes stay the same. This removes the minor quality and adds brightness.