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   The Key of Ab uses the notes Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, and G and is also known as the (Key of F minor), Seeing that there are only 12 keys then chances are that there are also 100's of thousands of songs using this key...

   You will find that most all of the flat (b) keys are oddball keys and the scales will look somewhat weird, You should notice that the key of Ab uses only one open string (G), The first position scale pattern is the aeolian pattern cut off a bit...

Key of Ab...

   Some guitar players (Eddie Van Halen) will tune their guitar down one-half step which makes common chords and scales flat, This would make "C major into Cb major" or "G major into Gb major" and so on, Like if you were playing a song in the Key of Ab then you could tune your guitar down a half step and then play the Key of A...

Key of Ab...

   Again we must say that patterns are used over and over, If you are really familiar with the first scale position in the Key of D then you will find the pattern below to be familiar...

Key of Ab...

   And if you are familiar with the Key of C then you will find this pattern familiar, The 'pattern' shown below is used in all twelve keys...

Key of Ab...

   Here are the basic chords for the Key of Ab, this shows the Natural Chord Progression that they follow based on the tones starting from the key note... (a 13th chord is commonly referred to as a 6th chord - they are identical)

Chord name --------------------- Notes used

Ab major ------------------------- Ab C Eb
Ab major 3rd -------------------- Ab C ..
Ab 5 ------------------------------- Ab .. Eb

Ab major 7th --------------------- Ab C Eb + G 
Ab major add9 ------------------ Ab C Eb + G + Bb
Ab sus7 -------------------------- Ab .. Eb + G 

Ab major 9th -------------------- Ab C Eb + Bb
Ab sus2 -------------------------- Ab .. Eb + Bb  ------- (Eb major sus4)

Ab major 11th ------------------- Ab C Eb + Db
Ab sus4 --------------------------- Ab .. Eb + Db

Ab major 6th/13th ------------- Ab C Eb + F
Ab sus6 --------------------------- Ab .. Eb + F

Compare the Ab major 13th to the F minor 7th below

F minor -------------------------- F Ab C
F minor 3rd --------------------- F Ab
F 5 -------------------------------- F .. C

F minor 7th --------------------- F Ab C + Eb
F minor add9 ------------------- F Ab C + Eb + G
F sus7 ---------------------------- F .. C + Eb

F minor 9th ---------------------- F Ab C + G
F sus2 ---------------------------- F .. C + G  ------- (C minor sus4)

F minor 11th --------------------- F Ab C + Bb
F sus4 ---------------------------- F .. C + Bb

F minor 6th/13th -------------- F Ab C + Db
F sus6 ---------------------------- F .. C + Db

Compare the F minor 13th to Db major 7th below

Db major ---------------------------- Db F Ab
Db major 3rd ---------------------- Db F ..
Db 5 --------------------------------- Db .. Ab

Db major 7th ---------------------- Db F Ab + C
Db major add9 -------------------- Db F Ab + C + Eb
Db sus7 ---------------------------- Db .. Ab + C

Db major 9th ----------------------- Db F Ab + Eb
Db sus2 ---------------------------- Db .. Ab + Eb  ------- (Ab sus4)

Db major 11th ---------------------- Db F Ab + G
Db sus4 ---------------------------- Db .. Ab + G        ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

Db major 6th/13th -------------- Db F Ab + Bb
Db sus6 ---------------------------- Db .. Ab + Bb

Compare the Db major 13th to the Bb minor 7th below

Bb minor --------------------------- Bb Db F
Bb minor 3rd ---------------------- Bb Db
Bb 5 -------------------------------- Bb .. F

Bb minor 7th ---------------------- Bb Db F + Ab
Bb minor add9 -------------------- Bb Db F + Ab + C
Bb sus7 ---------------------------- Bb .. F + Ab

Bb minor 9th ---------------------- Bb Db F + C
Bb sus2 ---------------------------- Bb .. F + C  ------- (F minor sus4)

Bb minor 11th -------------------- Bb Db F + Eb
Bb sus4 ---------------------------- Bb .. F + Eb

Bb minor 6th/13th --------------- Bb Db F + G
Bb sus7 ---------------------------- Bb .. F + G

Compare the Bb minor 13th to the G diminished 7th below

G diminished ---------------------- G Bb Db
G minor 3rd ----------------------- G Bb ..
G (b5) ------------------------------ G .. Db        ------- (Tritonics)...

G diminished 7th ----------------- G Bb Db + F
G diminished add9 --------------- G Bb Db + F + Ab
G sus7 ------------------------------ G .. Db + F      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

G diminished 9th ----------------- G Bb Db + Ab
G dim. sus7 ----------------------- G .. Db + Ab       ------- (Db sus4)...

G diminished 11th ----------------- G Bb Db + C
G dim. sus4 ------------------------- G .. Db + C      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

G diminished 6th/13th -------- G Bb Db + Eb

Compare the G diminished 13th to the Eb major 7th below

Eb major ------------------------------ Eb G Bb
Eb major 3rd ------------------------- Eb G ..
Eb 5 ----------------------------------- Eb .. Bb

Eb major 7th ------------------------- Eb G Bb + Db
Eb major add9 ----------------------- Eb G Bb + Db + F
Eb sus7 ------------------------------- Eb .. Bb + Db

Eb major 9th ------------------------- Eb G Bb + F
Eb sus2 ------------------------------- Eb .. Bb + F  ------- (Bb minor sus4)

Eb major 11th ------------------------ Eb G Bb + Ab
Eb sus4 ------------------------------- Eb .. Bb + Ab

Eb major 6th/13th  ----------------- Eb G Bb + C
Eb sus6  ------------------------------- Eb .. Bb + C

Compare the Eb major 13th to the C minor 7th below

C minor ------------------------------ C Eb G
C minor 3rd ------------------------- C Eb ..
C 5 ------------------------------------ C .. G

C minor 7th -------------------------- C Eb G + Bb
C minor add9 ----------------------- C Eb G + Bb + Db
C sus7 -------------------------------- C .. G + Bb

C minor 9th ------------------------- C Eb G + Db
C sus2 ------------------------------- C .. G + Db  ------- (G dim. sus4)

C minor 11th ------------------------- C Eb G + F
C sus4 -------------------------------- C ... G + F

C minor 6th/13th ----------------- C Eb G + Ab
C sus6 ------------------------------- C .. G + Ab

Compare the C minor 13th to the Ab major 7th at the very top

    * The 13th chord is most often named a 6th chord (C minor 6th = C minor 13th) the chord building structure indicates that a 6th chord, contrary to what others believe, should be named 13th. If the naming of this extension as a 6th is the proper way then why isn't there a C minor 8th, C minor 10th, and C minor 12th or C minor 14th... (See our 14th chords lesson)...

   For more information on the 13th chords, check out our lesson on 6th chords and our lesson on Chord Building You are currently looking at the Key of Ab, the best keys to change to from here are the Key of Db and the key of Eb).