Ab Harmonic Minor
A flat Harmonic Minor scale for guitar.
The Ab Harmonic Minor is a seven-note scale. Colored circles mark the tones in the diagram, the darker ones are the root notes. In the two-octave pattern, the first note in the scale is on the 6th string, 4th fret.
Ab Harmonic Minor 2 octaves
Ab Harmonic Minor full fretboard
Ab Harmonic Minor with note names
Shape 1 (3rd position) with fingerings
Shape 2 (5th position) with fingerings
Shape 3 (8th position) with fingerings
Shape 4 (10th position) with fingerings
Shape 5 (1st position) with fingerings
The scale displayed with its numeric formula, notes, intervals 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 |
| 6 | Fb | Minor sixth | Submediant |
| 7 | G | Major 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 interval formula (2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1) can be expound into specific notes of the scale.
| Notes (ascending) | Interval |
|---|---|
| Ab-Bb | M2 |
| Ab-B | m3 |
| Ab-Db | P4 |
| Ab-Eb | P5 |
| Ab-E | m6 |
| Ab-G | M7 |
| Notes (descending) | Interval |
|---|---|
| Ab-G | m2 |
| Ab-E | M3 |
| Ab-Eb | P4 |
| Ab-Db | P5 |
| Ab-B | M6 |
| Ab-Bb | m7 |
Abbreviations are used: M / m stands for major / minor and P stands for perfect.
The main chords that are related to this scale are the following:
| Abm | 466544 | AbmM7 | XX6887 |
| Bbdim | X1232X | Bbm7b5 | X1212X |
| Baug | X21003 | BM7#5 | 76888X |
| Dbm | X46654 | Dbm7 | X46454 |
| Eb | X68886 | Eb7 | X68686 |
| E | 022100 | Emaj7 | 021100 |
| Gdim | XX5686 | Gdim7 | XX5656 |
The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the Ab Harmonic Minor scale in which Abm is the tonic triad and AbmM7 the tonic 7th chord.
The second and fourth columns include short notations for the chords in the first and third columns respectively. These are based on common ways to play the chord, but there are other alternatives. See more about this notation system on the FAQ page.
The A flat Harmonic Minor scale consists of seven notes. These can be described as intervals, as semi-notes or steps on the guitar fingerboard from the first note to the next octave. Written as semi-notes: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1. Written as steps: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole and a half, half.
The Ab Harmonic Minor is one of three Ab Minor scales, the other two are Ab Natural Minor and Ab Melodic Minor.
This minor scale has an exotic sound caused by the whole and a half distance between the sixth and seventh degrees.
This large jump is the main feature to focus on in addition to the parallels with the other two minor scales.
Start the audio and play along! Use notes from the scale in the diagram above.
Normal tempo:Ab Harmonic Minor scale first shape ascending.
The numbers above the tablature are suggested fingerings.