A♭ major runs A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭. Major follows whole–whole–half–whole–whole–whole–half steps. The key signature is 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭ are black keys; the other 3 scale notes are played on white keys. The last A♭ is the first note again, one octave higher.
A♭ major notes and fingering
Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger). These are the one-octave ascending fingerings for the major form, one hand at a time:
| Notes | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Left hand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Fingering source: LearnMusicTheory.net, “Major and Natural Minor Scales for Piano,” §2.7.
Play slowly until every note has the same length. At a 1 in the middle of the right-hand row, pass the thumb underneath. At a 3 or 4 after left-hand 1, cross that finger over. Descend by reversing the same finger numbers. Keep your hand loose where it crosses.
Key signature and relative key
A♭ major has 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). Its relative minor is F minor. The relative minor starts on F, three half steps below A♭. They share a key signature and the same seven notes.
Hear the two half steps
The smallest moves in A♭ major are C to D♭ and G to the upper A♭. Each pair is one neighboring piano key apart. All the other moves between adjacent scale degrees are whole steps, two neighboring keys apart. Play just those half-step pairs, then play the full scale slowly to hear where they fall.
Next, stop on E♭, degree 5, before finishing at the upper A♭. Compare that pause with stopping on degree 3, C. The fifth feels open because the melody has not returned to its starting note; the last note gives the phrase a clear landing. Try the I and V chords below after you hear that motion in the single-note scale.
The seven chords in A♭ major
Stack every other scale note to make three-note chords. The Roman numeral tells you which degree supplies the root; upper-case numerals are major, lower-case are minor, and ° means diminished.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | A♭ | A♭ · C · E♭ |
| ii | B♭m | B♭ · D♭ · F |
| iii | Cm | C · E♭ · G |
| IV | D♭ | D♭ · F · A♭ |
| V | E♭ | E♭ · G · B♭ |
| vi | Fm | F · A♭ · C |
| vii° | Gdim | G · B♭ · D♭ |
The last chord, vii°, is diminished because its outer notes are six half steps apart.
Progressions to try
- I – IV – V – I: A♭ – D♭ – E♭ – A♭. Play each chord for four beats.
- I – V – vi – IV: A♭ – E♭ – Fm – D♭. This loop gives the same scale notes a different sense of arrival.
Play the scale up and down, then try each progression without leaving the key. Start one hand at a time, and use the highlighted keyboard above to check any note. The scale finder and piano chord finder let you compare other keys.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A flat major scale?
A♭ major is A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭. Its key signature is 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).
What fingers play the A flat major scale?
Ascending one octave, right hand: 2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3; left hand: 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-2. Reverse the order to descend. These fingerings are for major.
What is the relative minor of A flat major?
F minor. The keys share 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭) and the same seven notes.