A Flat Six Pentatonic Guitar Scale

A Flat Six Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals

The A Flat Six Pentatonic scale is a modern synthetic pentatonic used to imply the sound of the melodic minor system. On Guitar, its notes are A, B, C#, E, F. It provides a poignant and slightly altered texture to major melodies, making it a favorite for contemporary jazz players looking for fresh melodic paths. Commonly used in Contemporary Jazz, Fusion, Post-Bop. Notable players include Pat Metheny, Kurt Rosenwinkel. Use over Maj7, mMaj7, and altered dominant chords. A modern jazz tool for fresh melodic paths.

Notes: A, B, C#, E, F

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 5P, 6m

Degrees: 1 2 3 4 b5

Formula: W-W-WH-H-4

Number of notes: 5

Musical Character

Implies the melodic minor sound through only 5 notes, providing a contemporary jazz texture that is slightly altered without being fully 'outside'.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Contemporary Jazz, Fusion, Post-Bop

Notable players: Pat Metheny, Kurt Rosenwinkel

How to Use the A Flat Six Pentatonic Scale

Use over Maj7, mMaj7, and altered dominant chords. A modern jazz tool for fresh melodic paths.

Origin & Background

A contemporary jazz pentatonic extracted from the melodic minor system.

How to Play A Flat Six Pentatonic on Guitar

Place your index finger at fret 5 on the 6th (low E) to find your A root note. With only 5 notes, this scale fits comfortably in a two-notes-per-string pattern across all six strings. Focus on learning a single box shape first before connecting positions.

The A Flat Six Pentatonic scale contains 1 sharp (C#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.

Practice Routine

Practice the A Flat Six Pentatonic scale by playing it ascending with one rhythmic feel (straight eighth notes) and descending with another (swing or triplets) at 100 BPM. This dual approach trains both technical accuracy and rhythmic versatility with the 5 notes of the scale.

This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in A. Try a A5 - E5 - F5 progression. This scale is especially effective in post-bop contexts.

Guitar Tips

On guitar, try playing the A Flat Six Pentatonic scale using legato technique (hammer-ons and pull-offs) to develop a smooth, connected sound. This is particularly effective for pentatonic scale runs. Aim for a poignant quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

Flat Six Pentatonic is the Melodic minor-derived pentatonic. View A Melodic minor scale

• A Melodic minor
• A Lydian pentatonic
• A Altered

The A Flat Six Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (A, B, C#, E, F). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Flat Six Pentatonic

The A Flat Six Pentatonic scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.

Explore A Flat Six Pentatonic Further

• Harmonize the A Flat Six Pentatonic scale — triads & 7th chords
• Browse chord progressions
• A Flat Six Pentatonic on Ukulele
• A Flat Six Pentatonic on Bass
• A Flat Six Pentatonic on Piano

Explore A Flat Six Pentatonic in Other Tunings

• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
• A Flat Six Pentatonic in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)

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