A♭ major pentatonic scale
Notes in the scaleTap one to hear it and find it on the neck
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 5
- 6
Every A♭ major pentatonic note on the neck. Pick a position to learn it one shape at a time.
The A♭ major pentatonic scale
The major pentatonic drops the 4th and 7th from the major scale, which removes both half steps. With no notes that clash, it is hard to hit a wrong note, so it is a common first scale for soloing in country, pop and rock.
Its relative minor is F minor pentatonic, which uses the same notes starting from F.
- Notes
- A♭ B♭ C E♭ F
- Formula
- 1 2 3 5 6
- Steps
- W W W+H W W+H
- W is two frets, H is one fret
A♭ major pentatonic scale positions
Five boxes cover the whole neck. Each one fits under your hand without shifting. They overlap: the top of one box is the bottom of the next.
Position 1
Frets 1 to 4. Starts on F, the 6, on the lowest string. Same shape as F minor pentatonic box 1. Learn this one first.Position 2
Frets 3 to 6. Starts on A♭, the root, on the lowest string. Same shape as F minor pentatonic box 2.Position 3
Frets 5 to 9. Starts on B♭, the 2, on the lowest string. Same shape as F minor pentatonic box 3.Position 4
Frets 8 to 11. Starts on C, the 3, on the lowest string. Same shape as F minor pentatonic box 4.Position 5
Frets 10 to 13. Starts on E♭, the 5, on the lowest string. Same shape as F minor pentatonic box 5.
Chords in A♭ major
The A♭ major pentatonic scale works over the chords of A♭ major.