Ab Major vs Ab Major Pentatonic
Ab major and major pentatonic drawn on one neck. They differ by 2 notes.
Tap any note on the neck.
Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.
Ab major is Ab major pentatonic with the 4 and 7 added — Db and G.
Ab major vs Ab major pentatonic: what is different
Ab major pentatonic is Ab major with 2 notes left out. Every note of major pentatonic is also in major; major adds:
- Db, the 4
- G, the 7
Shared by both: Ab Bb C Eb F.
When to use which
The bigger scale has more colour and more ways to go wrong; the smaller one is safer and plainer. Start solos in the smaller scale and add the extra notes as a passing tone, on the way to a note that belongs to the chord. Live on the extra note and it stops sounding like colour and starts sounding like a mistake.
Hear the difference
Free, no account needed. Change the key and both scales follow.
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