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A♭ bebop minor scale on guitar
A♭ bebop minor uses A♭, B♭, C♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, and G♭. Box 1 starts on string 6, fret 4 for a compact shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7
How do you play the A♭ bebop minor scale on guitar?
A♭ bebop minor in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 19 notes across 6 strings, from F on the low E string at fret 1 up to A♭ on the high e string at fret 4. The root falls on the low E string at fret 4, the G string at fret 1 and the high e string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1, 2, 4 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 5 (A) | 1, 2, 3, 4 | B♭, C♭, C, D♭ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3, 4 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 3 (G) | 1, 3, 4 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (B) | 1, 2, 4 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 2, 4 | F, G♭, A♭ |
Box 2 · frets 4–7
A♭ bebop minor in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 16 notes across 6 strings, from A♭ on the low E string at fret 4 up to C♭ on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the low E string at fret 4, the D string at fret 6 and the high e string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 4, 6 | D♭, E♭ |
| 4 (D) | 4, 6 | G♭, A♭ |
| 3 (G) | 4, 5, 6 | C♭, C, D♭ |
| 2 (B) | 4, 6, 7 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 1 (e) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
A♭ bebop minor in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 19 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to D♭ on the high e string at fret 9. The root falls on the D string at fret 6 and the B string at fret 9.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 7, 8, 9 | B♭, C♭, C, D♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 8, 9 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 4 (D) | 6, 8, 9 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 6, 7, 9 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 7, 8, 9 | B♭, C♭, C, D♭ |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
A♭ bebop minor in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 18 notes across 6 strings, from C on the low E string at fret 8 up to E♭ on the high e string at fret 11. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the B string at fret 9.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8, 9, 11 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 5 (A) | 8, 9, 11 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 4 (D) | 8, 9, 10, 11 | B♭, C♭, C, D♭ |
| 3 (G) | 8, 10, 11 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 2 (B) | 9, 11 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (e) | 8, 9, 11 | C, D♭, E♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
A♭ bebop minor in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 17 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 14. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 11, 13, 14 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 11, 13 | D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 11, 13 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (B) | 11, 12, 13, 14 | B♭, C♭, C, D♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ bebop minor adds the major 3rd C to the seven-note A♭ dorian scale. The extra note creates a chromatic run from C♭ to C to D♭. This scale contains a tritone between C♭ and F. It has no leading tone.
When to use it
A♭ bebop minor fits A♭ major and A♭ minor chords. Use it over A♭ blues progressions and jazz minor vamps. The added C smooths lines over dominant chords.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. The root sits on string 6, fret 4, covering frets 1–4 for low-position lines.
Common questions
What notes are in A♭ bebop minor?
A♭ bebop minor contains A♭, B♭, C♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, and G♭. The scale adds a major 3rd to the natural minor. This creates a chromatic passage between the minor 3rd and perfect 4th. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does A♭ bebop minor fit?
A♭ bebop minor fits A♭ major and A♭ minor chords. The scale also works over A♭ dominant 7th chords. Use it in jazz and blues contexts.
What is the relative major of A♭ bebop minor?
A♭ bebop minor shares its key signature with C♭ major. The relative major is C♭. This relationship helps when moving between major and minor bebop sounds.