Ab Aeolian
A flat Aeolian scale for guitar.
The Ab Aeolian is a seven-note scale (also referred to as the Ab Minor scale). Notes are displayed in the fingerboard diagram, with the root notes indicated by darker color. In the two-octave pattern, the first root note is on the 6th string, 4th fret.
Ab
2 octaves
Notes: Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb - Fb - Gb
Intervals: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2
Type: Septonic
The scale displayed with its numeric formula and scale degrees.
| Formula | Notes | Intervals | Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ab | Unison | Tonic |
| 2 | Bb | Major second | Supertonic |
| b3 | Cb | Minor third | Mediant |
| 4 | Db | Perfect fourth | Subdominant |
| 5 | Eb | Perfect fifth | Dominant |
| b6 | Fb | Minor sixth | Submediant |
| b7 | Gb | Minor seventh | Subtonic |
The third degree is written as Cb, which is the same as B. The sixth degree is written as Fb, which is the same as E. A practice in a scale notation is to not include the same letter twice, if it can be avoided.
The A flat Aeolian consists of seven notes. These can be described as steps on the guitar fingerboard according to the following formula: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole from the first note to the same in the next octave.
Ab Aeolian is the first mode of Ab Minor and therefore both scales include the same notes and in the same order.
This scale is used in numerous styles, such as blues, rock, metal, and classical music.
Since this scale is exactly the same as the Minor scale you don't have to put any time into learning it.
Chords that are related to this scale are the following:
| Abm, Abm7, Abm9, Abm11 |
| Bbdim, Bbm7b5 |
| B, Bmaj7, B6, B6/9, Bmaj9, Bmaj13 |
| Dbm, Dbm7, Dbm6, Dbm9, Dbm11, Dbm13 |
| Ebm, Ebm7 |
| E, Emaj7, E6, E6/9, Emaj9 |
| Gb, Gb7, Gb6, Gb9, Gb11, Gb13 |
The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the Ab Aeolian mode.