Metal · Ab Major · 138 BPM

Metal Backing Track in Ab Major

4-bar Power-chord riff form, at 138 BPM. Chord chart, scale positions and practice drills for Ab major (also written G# Major).

Open in the app · Ab · 138 BPM

Hear the metal feel: “Classic Metal” · E minor · 138 BPM

This recording is the original “Classic Metal” demo in E minor at 138 BPM. It is not transposed: it lets you hear the metal feel. The app generates your track in Ab major.

4-bar chord chart in Ab Major

4-bar Power-chord riff form. Count four beats per bar; each card shows where the chord starts.

  1. Bar 1 Ab5 I5 · 4 beats
  2. Bar 2 Gb5 bVII5 · 4 beats
  3. Bar 3 Db5 IV5 · 4 beats
  4. Bar 4 Ab5 I5 · 4 beats

The app opens with the style, key, tempo and this chart filled in; press Generate to create your track (it counts toward your daily generations). The original demo opens the recorded arrangement without a generation.

More about “Classic Metal”

Chord chart and notes for “Classic Metal”.

Power-chord riff in Ab Major

Major-key metal — rare but punishing. Think Avenged Sevenfold uplift.

I
Ab5
bVII
Gb5
IV
Db5
I
Ab5
Generate a backing track over these changes →

Scales to solo in Ab Major

Three scales that sit well over metal in Ab major. Each one gives the line a different color — try them all and notice what changes.

Scale
Ab Major Pentatonic
Ab Bb C Eb F
Scale
Ab Mixolydian
Ab Bb C Db Eb F Gb
Scale
Ab Major Scale
Ab Bb C Db Eb F G

Where to play in Ab Major

Five-fret windows in standard tuning, anchored on Ab on the low E string. Highlighted notes are the root.

Ab Major Pentatonic
Stringfret 3fret 4fret 5fret 6fret 7
e Ab Bb
B Eb F
G Bb C
D F Ab
A C Eb
E Ab Bb
Notes: Ab Bb C Eb F. Root on the 6th string at fret 4, on the 5th string at fret 11.
Ab Mixolydian
Stringfret 3fret 4fret 5fret 6fret 7
e Ab Bb
B Eb F Gb
G Bb C Db
D F Gb Ab
A C Db Eb
E Ab Bb
Notes: Ab Bb C Db Eb F Gb. Root on the 6th string at fret 4, on the 5th string at fret 11.

Practice drills

  1. 1. Find the changes in Ab Major

    Play only the root on the first beat of each change: Ab (bar 1, Ab5), Gb (bar 2, Gb5), Db (bar 3, Db5), Ab (bar 4, Ab5). Keep counting through every bar that holds the same chord; the form resolves back to Ab.

  2. 2. Target the guide tones

    These are power chords, so there is no third to target. Alternate root and fifth on each change: Ab–Eb over Ab5, Gb–Db over Gb5, Db–Ab over Db5.

  3. 3. Ab Major Pentatonic in position

    Play Ab Major Pentatonic (Ab Bb C Eb F) up and down in frets 3–7, one note per beat at 138 BPM. Start and finish on Ab: 6th string fret 4, or 5th string fret 11 for the next position up.

Guide tones for every chord in the chart
ChordRoot3rd7th / 6th
Ab5Ab——
Gb5Gb——
Db5Db——

Keep practicing

Try Metal in another key

Chord chart, scale positions and practice drills in the keys metal is most often played in.

Play Metal in Ab Major

Open the app with Metal, Ab, 138 BPM and this chart pre-filled. Press Generate when you are ready.

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