Skip to content
piano.org
A piano reference: chords, scales, theory & ear training.
/

Scale · Reference entry

A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale

Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale · A♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – A♭ · intervals P1-m3-P4-P5-M6

The A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale contains the notes A♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, and F. Its step pattern is m3-W-W-W-m3. The minor pentatonic with the natural 6th — a brighter, jazzier pentatonic for modal contexts.

At the keyboard

Cb · Ab · Db · Eb · F
Flashcards · Scale
Three questions on A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale
Answer on the keyboard, not with buttons. No login required.

The A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic scale contains five notes: A♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, and F. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern m3-W-W-W-m3.

A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1RootA♭P1
♭3Minor 3rdC♭m3
4Perfect 4thD♭P4
5Perfect 5thE♭P5
6Major 6thFM6
8OctaveA♭P8

Key Signature

The A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale shares the key signature of its relative major, Cb Major7 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭).

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭

Written as accidentals

F♮

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

BEADGCF

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the notes of the A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale on piano?
The A♭ Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale uses the notes A♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – A♭. Play them in order from the root up to the octave, hands separately first, then together.
What notes are in the Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale?
The Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale contains five notes: Ab – Cb – Db – Eb – F. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic have?
The Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale shares the key signature of its relative major, Cb Major7 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭. The remaining alterations are written as accidentals: F♮.
What is the relative major of Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic?
The relative major of Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic is Cb Major. The five notes of Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic are all drawn from Cb Major, and both share the same key signature — the difference is which note feels like "home."
What chords are in the key of Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic?
The seven diatonic chords in the key of Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic are: i – Ab Minor, ii° – Bb Diminished, III – B Major, iv – Db Minor, v – Eb Minor, VI – E Major, VII – Gb Major. A classic progression in Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic is i – VI – iv – v (Ab Minor → E Major → Db Minor → Eb Minor).
What is the parallel major of Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic?
The parallel major of Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic is Ab Major. "Parallel" means same root note, opposite mode — the two scales differ by three notes (the third, sixth, and seventh are lowered in minor). Borrowing chords from the parallel key is a popular way to add color to a progression.
What does the Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale sound like?
The Ab Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale has the foundation of rock, blues, and pop guitar solos — minor without the unstable second and sixth. With only five notes, the pentatonic scale avoids the most dissonant intervals — every note in the scale sounds good against every other, which makes it ideal for soloing.

Related Tools

Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.

References & Further Reading

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this scale page are grounded in the following sources. Public domain treatises and scores are linked to their full text; primary data is piano.org's own interval-derived reference dataset — continuously maintained and human-verified, with no fixed publication date.

  1. 1

    Riemann, Hugo(1896)

    Harmony Simplified (English translation)

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    George Grove (ed.)(1900)

    A Dictionary of Music and Musicians

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    C. P. E. Bach(1753)

    Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments

    Public domain treatise
  4. 4

Spot something that looks off? Use the note form below — corrections are reviewed by hand.

Entry reviewed and maintained by Justin Evans. Corrections are read and applied.Report an error

Corrections

Found an error or omission in this entry? Send a correction — every submission is reviewed.

0 / 1000