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A♭ major pentatonic scale on guitar
A♭ major pentatonic uses A♭, B♭, C, E♭, and F. Box 1 spans frets 1–4 with roots on the sixth, third, and first strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
How do you play the A♭ major pentatonic scale on guitar?
A♭ major pentatonic in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 12 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, 4 | F, A♭ |
| 5 (A) | 1, 3 | B♭, C |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3 | E♭, F |
| 3 (G) | 1, 3 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 1, 4 | C, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 4 | F, A♭ |
Box 2 · frets 4–6
A♭ major pentatonic in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 6, 9 notes across 6 strings, from A♭ on the low E string at fret 4 up to B♭ on the high e string at fret 6. 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 | A♭, B♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6 | E♭ |
| 4 (D) | 6 | A♭ |
| 3 (G) | 5 | C |
| 2 (B) | 4, 6 | E♭, F |
| 1 (e) | 4, 6 | A♭, B♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
A♭ major pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 11 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to C on the high e string at fret 8. 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, 8 | B♭, C |
| 5 (A) | 6, 8 | E♭, F |
| 4 (D) | 6, 8 | A♭, B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 8 | E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 6, 9 | F, A♭ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
A♭ major pentatonic in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 12 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, 11 | C, E♭ |
| 5 (A) | 8, 11 | F, A♭ |
| 4 (D) | 8, 10 | B♭, C |
| 3 (G) | 8, 10 | E♭, F |
| 2 (B) | 9, 11 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (e) | 8, 11 | C, E♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–13
A♭ major pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 13, 10 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to F on the high e string at fret 13. 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 | E♭, F |
| 5 (A) | 11, 13 | A♭, B♭ |
| 4 (D) | 13 | E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 13 | A♭ |
| 2 (B) | 11, 13 | B♭, C |
| 1 (e) | 11, 13 | E♭, F |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ major pentatonic removes the fourth and seventh from A♭ major, leaving intervals 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. The parent scale is A♭ major. The omitted D♭ and G remove the tritone and leading tone, creating a stable, consonant sound.
When to use it
A♭ major pentatonic fits A♭ major and A♭ 5th chords, and it also works over B♭ 5th and E♭ 5th. Use it for jazz, funk, and pop in the key of A♭ major. Try it over A♭ major or A♭ 5th.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first. Its root on the sixth string, fourth fret keeps the pattern close to the nut and easy to visualize.
Common questions
What notes are in A♭ major pentatonic?
A♭ major pentatonic contains A♭, B♭, C, E♭, and F. These are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th degrees of the A♭ major scale. The fourth and seventh are omitted. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does A♭ major pentatonic fit?
A♭ major pentatonic fits A♭ major and A♭ 5th chords directly. It also works over B♭ 5th and E♭ 5th in progressions. The scale avoids the fourth and seventh, so it rarely clashes.
Is A♭ major pentatonic the same as F minor pentatonic?
A♭ major pentatonic shares the same notes as F minor pentatonic. The difference is the tonal center: A♭ major pentatonic resolves to A♭, while F minor pentatonic resolves to F.