Scales & Modes
A♭ Major
Neck DiagramThe foundation of Western harmony. Bright, resolved, and the source of the seven church modes.
How it sounds, and where to use it
Often described as happy and settled; majestic or sentimental when slow. Hear it in "Amazing Grace", "Twinkle Twinkle".
How usual it sounds: as tight as it gets: the notes sit side by side on the circle of fifths, which is why it sounds so familiar. (No gaps round the circle of fifths. See its shape.)
Solo with it over:A♭A♭maj7A♭sus4A♭sus2A♭6A♭maj9
Chords on A♭ made only from this scale's notes, so every note of the scale sits safely over them.
Step through the Mode ladder from here · Open it in Note shapes
Formula: W-W-H-W-W-W-H · Arpeggios in A♭ Major
Relative minor: F Natural Minor (same notes, from the 6th) · Parallel minor: A♭ Natural Minor (same root, three notes lowered)
| Step | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G |
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Interval | P1 | M2 | M3 | P4 | P5 | M6 | M7 |
Degree and Interval are the same thing written two ways: how far each note is from the root. See them all on the Intervals page → Click either one in the table to open that interval.
Modes
Two octaves across; each mode starts one scale degree later and is numbered from its own root. ▶ plays a mode.
The same notes, started from each degree: the degrees against major, the steps between them, and the notes.
| # | Degrees and steps | Notes | Name(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 12345678WWHWWWH | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ | Ionian | |
| II | 12♭3456♭78WHWWWHW | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ | Dorian | |
| III | 1♭2♭345♭6♭78HWWWHWW | C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C | Phrygian | |
| IV | 123♯45678WWWHWWH | D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ | Lydian | |
| V | 123456♭78WWHWWHW | E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ | Mixolydian | |
| VI | 12♭345♭6♭78WHWWHWW | F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F | Aeolian | |
| VII | 1♭2♭34♭5♭6♭78HWWHWWW | G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G | Locrian |
For more on modes, check out
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