Ab major chords, relative minor and Camelot code (4B)
A♭ major has 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). Its chords are A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm and G°. The relative minor is F minor and the Camelot code is 4B, so it mixes cleanly with 3B, 5B and 4A.
Notes in the A♭ major scale
A♭ major has 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). It sounds identical to G♯ major, which is the same set of pitches spelled differently; A♭ major is the usual spelling.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G |
Chords in A♭ major
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get the seven chords that belong to the key:
| 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° | G° | G · B♭ · D♭ |
Common progressions in A♭ major
- A♭ – E♭ – Fm – D♭ (I–V–vi–IV): the most used pop progression of the last forty years.
- A♭ – Fm – D♭ – E♭ (I–vi–IV–V): the 1950s doo-wop turnaround.
- B♭m – E♭ – A♭ (ii–V–I): the jazz cadence.
- Fm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭ (vi–IV–I–V): the same four chords as I–V–vi–IV, started on the minor chord for a darker feel.
Keys that mix with A♭ major
A♭ major is 4B on the Camelot wheel. For a clean blend, go to a key next to it:
| Camelot | Key | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| 3B | D♭ major | One step round the wheel: shares six of its seven notes |
| 5B | E♭ major | One step the other way: also shares six of seven notes |
| 4A | F minor | The relative minor: exactly the same notes |
How the wheel works is in the Camelot wheel explained, and how to use it in a set is in harmonic mixing for DJs.
Relative and parallel keys
The relative minor, F minor, uses exactly the same notes with a different home chord. The parallel minor, G♯ minor, keeps A♭ as home but changes three notes. More on the difference in relative major and minor keys.
Questions people ask
What chords are in A♭ major?
A♭ (I), B♭m (ii), Cm (iii), D♭ (IV), E♭ (V), Fm (vi) and G° (vii°).
What is the relative minor of A♭ major?
F minor. It uses the same 7 notes, A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G, but centres on F instead of A♭.
What is the Camelot code for A♭ major?
4B. In Open Key notation it is 9d.
What keys mix well with A♭ major?
D♭ major (3B), E♭ major (5B) and F minor (4A). They sit next to 4B on the Camelot wheel.
How many sharps or flats does A♭ major have?
4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).