Key guide
A♭ major: scale, key signature and chords
A♭ major has four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). Its scale is A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G — play the scale and every chord below.
- Key signature
- B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ — four flats
- Scale notes
- A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G
- Relative minor
- F minor
- Parallel minor
- G♯ minor (enharmonic spelling of A♭ minor)
- Dominant key
- E♭ major
- Subdominant key
- D♭ major
- On the piano
- 4 black keys and 3 white in the scale
The A♭ major scale
The A♭ major scale uses the notes A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G, the major-scale pattern of whole and half steps (W–W–H–W–W–W–H) starting on A♭. Each letter name appears once, which is why the accidentals are written as B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ rather than as their enharmonic equivalents.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | tonic |
| 2 | B♭ | supertonic |
| 3 | C | mediant |
| 4 | D♭ | subdominant |
| 5 | E♭ | dominant |
| 6 | F | submediant |
| 7 | G | leading tone |
Chords in A♭ major
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives seven diatonic triads and seven seventh chords. The Roman numeral gives each chord’s position; the role column says what it usually does in a phrase.
| Chord | Triad | Seventh | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | A♭ C E♭ | A♭ C E♭ G | tonic |
| ii | B♭ D♭ F | B♭ D♭ F A♭ | predominant |
| iii | C E♭ G | C E♭ G B♭ | tonic substitute |
| IV | D♭ F A♭ | D♭ F A♭ C | predominant |
| V | E♭ G B♭ | E♭ G B♭ D♭ | dominant |
| vi | F A♭ C | F A♭ C E♭ | tonic substitute |
| vii° | G B♭ D♭ | G B♭ D♭ F | dominant |
Chord progressions in A♭ major
Four progressions worked out in A♭ major, each one playable:
- I – V – vi – IV A♭ – E♭ – Fm – D♭The four-chord loop under a large share of pop songs.
- ii – V – I B♭m – E♭ – A♭The standard jazz cadence: predominant, dominant, tonic.
- I – IV – V – I A♭ – D♭ – E♭ – A♭The plain three-chord cadence at the root of tonal harmony.
- I – vi – IV – V A♭ – Fm – D♭ – E♭The 1950s progression: tonic, relative minor, subdominant, dominant.
Keys related to A♭ major
- Relative minor: F minor — same key signature, different home note.
- Dominant: E♭ major — one step clockwise on the circle of fifths; the key most pieces in A♭ major modulate to.
- Subdominant: D♭ major — one step counter-clockwise, adding one flat (or removing one sharp).
- Parallel minor: G♯ minor (the enharmonic spelling of A♭ minor) — same tonic, opposite mode.
Questions
What are the notes in A♭ major?
The A♭ major scale is A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G.
How many sharps or flats are in A♭ major?
A♭ major has four flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭.
What is the relative minor of A♭ major?
The relative minor of A♭ major is F minor. The two keys share a key signature and the same seven notes, but F is the home note of the minor key.
What chords are in A♭ major?
The seven diatonic triads in A♭ major are A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm, G°.