Ab Melodic Minor

A flat Melodic Minor scale for guitar.
The Ab Melodic Minor is a seven-note scale. Colored circles mark the tones in the fingerboard diagram, with darker color highlighting the root notes. In the two-octave pattern, the first root note is on the 6th string, 4th fret.

Ab Melodic Minor 2 octaves

Ab Melodic Minor scale diagram

Ab Melodic Minor full fretboard

Ab Melodic Minor scale whole guitar neck diagram

Ab Melodic Minor with note names

Ab Melodic Minor scale with note letters diagram

Shape 1 (3rd position) with fingerings

Ab Melodic Minor scale shape 1 diagram

Shape 2 (6th position) with fingerings

Ab Melodic Minor scale shape 2 diagram

Shape 3 (8th position) with fingerings

Ab Melodic Minor scale shape 3 diagram

Shape 4 (10th position) with fingerings

Ab Melodic Minor scale shape 4 diagram

Shape 5 (1st position) with fingerings

Ab Melodic Minor scale shape 5 diagram
Notes: Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb - F - G Intervals: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 Type: Septonic 
G Melodic Minor scale  •  A Melodic Minor scale

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 F Sixth Submediant
7 G Major seventh Subtonic

The third degree is written as Cb, which is the same as B. 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 - 2 - 2 - 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-F M6
Ab-G M7
Notes (descending) Interval
Ab-G m2
Ab-F 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
  • Bbm
  • Baug
  • Db
  • Eb
  • Fdim
  • Gdim

The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the Ab Melodic Minor scale in which Abm is the tonic triad.

The A flat Melodic Minor scale consists of seven notes. These can be described as intervals, as semi-notes or steps on the guitar fingerboard, written as 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 from the first note to the next octave.
This scale has an unusual aspect: it ascends as described above but descends as the Natural Minor. For that reason, it is also known as the Ascending Melodic Minor.
The Ab Melodic Minor is one of three Ab Minor scales, the other two are Ab Natural Minor and Ab Harmonic Minor.
The scale is identical with the Major scale apart from the minor third. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as Ionian b3 scale.

If you already know the A flat Natural Minor, the equivalent Melodic Minor is distinguished with the raised sixth and seventh intervals.
Also beneficial for learning this scale is to observe the note steps, starting from the root: whole, half, whole, whole, whole, whole, half

Ab Melodic Minor scale first shape ascending.

Ab Melodic Minor scale tab

The numbers above the tablature are suggested fingerings.