A♭ Major Pentatonic Scale on Guitar: Notes, Shapes and Positions

Searching for G♯ major pentatonic? It's the same scale, written here as A♭ major pentatonic, because G♯ major would need double sharps.

The A♭ major pentatonic scale (A flat major pentatonic, written Ab major pentatonic) is A♭, B♭, C, E♭ and F. Its formula is 1 2 3 5 6. Start with the root on the low E string at the fourth fret, then learn the five positions below, from the G shape at the first fret up the neck.

Keys

A♭ Major Pentatonic Scale: 5 Positions

8C shape
10A shape
1G shape
3E shape
5D shape

CAGED Chords — A♭

8Position 1
11Position 2
1Position 3
4Position 4
6Position 5

Triads — A♭

Root position

8C shape
11A shape
1G shape
4E shape

Notes and formula

Degree12356
NoteA♭B♭CE♭F

A♭ major pentatonic takes five notes from A♭ major and leaves out D♭ and G, the 4th and 7th. With no half steps between neighbouring notes, it is hard to land on a note that clashes with the chords of the key.

Its parent key, A♭ major, has four flats (A♭, B♭ and E♭ among the five notes here).

It's the same pitch as G♯: G♯ major would need double sharps. This page uses A♭ because it needs fewer accidentals, so every note is spelled with one letter each (A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F and G).

The A♭ major pentatonic scale across the whole neck

Every A♭ major pentatonic scale note from the nut to the 15th fret: F on the low E string, fret 1; A flat (root) on the low E string, fret 4; B flat on the low E string, fret 6; C on the low E string, fret 8; E flat on the low E string, fret 11; F on the low E string, fret 13; B flat on the A string, fret 1; C on the A string, fret 3; E flat on the A string, fret 6; F on the A string, fret 8; A flat (root) on the A string, fret 11; B flat on the A string, fret 13; C on the A string, fret 15; E flat on the D string, fret 1; F on the D string, fret 3; A flat (root) on the D string, fret 6; B flat on the D string, fret 8; C on the D string, fret 10; E flat on the D string, fret 13; F on the D string, fret 15; A flat (root) on the G string, fret 1; B flat on the G string, fret 3; C on the G string, fret 5; E flat on the G string, fret 8; F on the G string, fret 10; A flat (root) on the G string, fret 13; B flat on the G string, fret 15; C on the B string, fret 1; E flat on the B string, fret 4; F on the B string, fret 6; A flat (root) on the B string, fret 9; B flat on the B string, fret 11; C on the B string, fret 13; F on the high e string, fret 1; A flat (root) on the high e string, fret 4; B flat on the high e string, fret 6; C on the high e string, fret 8; E flat on the high e string, fret 11; F on the high e string, fret 13.

A♭ Major Pentatonic scale, frets 0–15. Roots (A♭) in green.

The root, A♭, sits on the low E string at the fourth fret and on the A string at the eleventh fret. Those are the anchors every position is built around.

None of the open strings is a note of A♭ major pentatonic, so the scale is played entirely with fretted notes.

Position by position: G shape from the first fret; E shape from the third fret; D shape from the fifth fret; C shape from the eighth fret; A shape from the tenth fret.

What to play A♭ major pentatonic over

Chords in A♭ major
NumeralChordShapes
IA♭CAGED · Triads
iiB♭mCAGED · Triads
iiiCmCAGED · Triads
IVD♭CAGED · Triads
VE♭CAGED · Triads
viFmCAGED · Triads
vii°G°Triads

Play it over A♭ major chords and the I, IV and V of the key (A♭, D♭, E♭). Its five notes are also F minor pentatonic: the same shapes, with F as home.

It suits country, pop and major-key blues, where the full A♭ major scale's 4th (D♭) can sound like a wrong note over the I chord.

None of the key's chords has an open shape, so on guitar A♭ is played entirely with barre chords and CAGED shapes up the neck, or with a capo.

The nearest keys are a fifth away: E♭ major pentatonic differs by one note: G instead of A♭; D♭ major pentatonic differs by one note: D♭ instead of C.

To learn it, play the G shape from the first fret slowly, saying each note name, then link it to the next position up. Land on A♭ at the end of each run, and you'll hear the scale settle on its root.

A♭ Major Pentatonic scale FAQs

Which notes make up the A♭ major pentatonic scale?

A♭, B♭, C, E♭ and F. The formula is 1 2 3 5 6.

Which scale has the same notes as A♭ major pentatonic?

F minor pentatonic. The five notes are identical; only the root changes.

Where do I play the A♭ major pentatonic scale on guitar?

Start from the root on the low E string at the fourth fret. The G shape from the first fret is the lowest of the five positions, and the other four continue up the neck to the 12th fret and beyond.

Learn more

The major pentatonic scale on guitar explains how the scale is built and how to use it, and the pentatonic scale guitar lessons set out what to learn next. The scale library has every scale in every key.