Also written Diatonic, Gong or Mongolian
A♭ major pentatonic uses A♭, B♭, C, E♭, and F. Its Box 1 shape places the root on the fourth string, first fret.
A♭ major pentatonic derives from A♭ major by removing the fourth and seventh degrees. The parent scale A♭ major contains D♭ and G, which are left out here. The remaining intervals are 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. See the full A♭ major scale for comparison.
A♭ major pentatonic fits A♭ major and A♭ 5th chords. It also works over E♭ 5th and F minor, common in jazz and R&B progressions. Use it for bright, smooth lines in the key of A♭. Try it over a A♭ major to E♭ 5th progression.
Learn Box 1 first: it keeps the root on the fourth string, first fret. This shape covers frets 3–6 and prepares you for the higher Box 2.
A♭ major pentatonic in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 8 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the C string at fret 3 up to E♭ on the A string at fret 6. The root falls on the E string at fret 4.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3, 5 | B♭, C |
| 3 (C) | 3, 5 | E♭, F |
| 2 (E) | 4, 6 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (A) | 3, 6 | C, E♭ |
A♭ major pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 8 notes across 4 strings, from F on the C string at fret 5 up to F on the A string at fret 8. The root falls on the C string at fret 8.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 5, 8 | C, E♭ |
| 3 (C) | 5, 8 | F, A♭ |
| 2 (E) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
| 1 (A) | 6, 8 | E♭, F |
A♭ major pentatonic in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 8 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the C string at fret 8 up to A♭ on the A string at fret 11. The root falls on the C string at fret 8 and the A string at fret 11.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8, 10 | E♭, F |
| 3 (C) | 8, 10 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (E) | 8, 11 | C, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 8, 11 | F, A♭ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
A♭ major pentatonic contains A♭, B♭, C, E♭, and F. These are the 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 degrees of the A♭ major scale. The fourth and seventh degrees are omitted. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
A♭ major pentatonic works over A♭ major and A♭ 5th chords. It also fits E♭ 5th and F minor chords. These chords appear in many jazz and R&B progressions in the key of A♭.
A♭ major pentatonic omits the fourth and seventh degrees of A♭ major. The missing notes are D♭ and G. This removal creates a brighter, more open sound.