A♭ major scale on piano
The A♭ major scale uses the notes A♭ - B♭ - C - D♭ - E♭ - F - G and has 4 flats.
Numbers on the keys are right-hand fingers (1 = thumb, 5 = little finger).
A♭ major scale fingering
| Hand | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Left hand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Practice each hand alone, slowly, until the thumb crossing feels smooth. Then play hands together at a tempo where you make no mistakes, and raise it a little each day.
Chords in A♭ major
Build a triad on every note of the scale and you get the seven chords that belong to this key:
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | A♭ major | A♭ - C - E♭ |
| ii | B♭ minor | B♭ - D♭ - F |
| iii | C minor | C - E♭ - G |
| IV | D♭ major | D♭ - F - A♭ |
| V | E♭ major | E♭ - G - B♭ |
| vi | F minor | F - A♭ - C |
| vii° | G diminished | G - B♭ - D♭ |
The most common progression in pop music in this key is A♭ - E♭ - Fm - D♭ (I - V - vi - IV).
Relative key
F minor is the relative minor of A♭ major. Both scales use the same notes; they simply start on a different note, which changes the mood.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the A♭ major scale?
A♭ major: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭.
How many sharps or flats are in A♭ major?
A♭ major has 4 flats (A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭).
What is the relative minor of A♭ major?
F minor. It shares the same notes and key signature as A♭ major.