G flat major scale

The G♭ major scale is G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭ and F, with six flats. From G♭, the steps go whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.

  1. G♭1
  2. whole
  3. A♭2
  4. whole
  5. B♭3
  6. half
  7. C♭4
  8. whole
  9. D♭5
  10. whole
  11. E♭6
  12. whole
  13. F7
  14. half
  15. G♭8
C♭1F1G♭2A♭3B♭4D♭2E♭3G♭2

G♭ major on the staff, piano and guitar

On the staff

♭♭♭♭♭♭G♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭♭♭♭♭♭♭G♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭

On piano

Right hand 2 3 4, then the thumb passes under to C♭: 1 2 3 1 2.

C♭1F1G♭4A♭3B♭2D♭3E♭2G♭4

Left hand 4 3 2 1, then finger 3 crosses over to D♭: 3 2 1 4.

Fingers are numbered from the thumb, 1, to the little finger, 5. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.

On guitar

12345EBGDAEFG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭A♭

Every note of G♭ major between the 1st and 5th fret. The root, G♭, has a heavy ring.

How to play the G flat major scale on piano

  1. Find G♭, the first black key of a group of three.
  2. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to A♭, a black key.
  3. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to B♭, a black key.
  4. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to C♭ (the white key usually called B).
  5. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to D♭, a black key.
  6. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to E♭, a black key.
  7. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to F.
  8. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to G♭, an octave above where you started.

Practice the G♭ major scale

Play the G♭ major scale one note a beat, up and back down: G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭ F E♭ D♭ C♭ B♭ A♭ G♭. Hands separately first. Start at 60 beats a minute and move up toward 100 once every note lands on the beat.

G♭
  1. G♭
  2. A♭
  3. B♭
  4. C♭
  5. D♭
  6. E♭
  7. F
  8. G♭
  9. F
  10. E♭
  11. D♭
  12. C♭
  13. B♭
  14. A♭
  15. G♭

The key of G♭ major

Follow the major pattern from G♭ and six notes need a flat: G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭ and E♭. Those six flats are the key signature.

Relative minor
E♭ minor
Parallel minor
G♭ minor
Neighbors on the circle of fifths
C♭ major and D♭ major
♭♭♭♭♭♭CAmGEmDBmAF♯mEC♯mBC♭IVG♯mA♭miiF♯G♭ID♯mE♭mviD♭C♯VB♭mA♯miiiA♭FmE♭CmB♭GmFDmG♭ major
G♭ major on the circle of fifths, with the chords of its key marked.

The name of each note in the key

  1. 1G♭tonic
  2. 2A♭supertonic
  3. 3B♭mediant
  4. 4C♭subdominant
  5. 5D♭dominant
  6. 6E♭submediant
  7. 7Fleading tone

Chords in G♭ major

Build a chord on each note of the scale, using only the scale's notes, and you get the seven chords of the key. The numeral is the chord's place in the key: capitals for major, small letters for minor.

  1. IG♭
  2. iiA♭m
  3. iiiB♭m
  4. IVC♭
  5. VD♭
  6. viE♭m
  7. vii°Fdim

Modes on the same notes

Start the G♭ major scale on another of its notes and you get a mode, with the same key signature: G♭ ionian, A♭ dorian, B♭ phrygian, C♭ lydian, D♭ mixolydian, E♭ aeolian, F locrian.

Practice notes for the G flat major scale

G♭ major has six flats: G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭. It is played on exactly the same keys as F♯ major, with the same fingers, and sounds the same. What changes is the reading. Some music is written in G♭, some in F♯, and a player needs both.

Where it goes wrong. C♭. It is the white key most people call B, and in this key it has to be called C♭, because the scale already has a B, the B♭. Writing or saying B instead makes the scale look as if it has two Bs and no C.

How to practice it. Use the F♯ major fingering, thinking in flats. Right hand 2 3 4 for G♭ A♭ B♭, thumb under to C♭, 2 3 for D♭ E♭, thumb on F, and 2 on G♭. Left hand 4 3 2 1 from G♭, then 3 crosses over to D♭. The thumbs play C♭ and F, the only two white keys. If you already know F♯ major, read this one from the staff instead, to get used to six flats.

What to listen for. F to G♭ at the top and B♭ to C♭ in the middle, the two half steps. Each goes from a black key to a white one or back, so they show whether the thumb is landing cleanly.

What to learn next. E♭ minor, the relative minor with the same six flats, and D♭ major, one flat fewer.

Questions

What are the notes of the G♭ major scale?

G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭ and F, then G♭ again an octave up.

What chords are in the key of G♭ major?

G♭, A♭m, B♭m, C♭, D♭, E♭m and Fdim: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii°.

Why does G♭ major have six flats?

Follow the major pattern from G♭ and six notes need a flat: G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭ and E♭. Those six flats are the key signature.

What is the relative minor of G♭ major?

E♭ minor. It uses the same notes and the same key signature, starting on E♭.