Ab Harmonic Minor Step by Step
Learn the Ab harmonic minor scale as Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb and G. The Cb and Fb are only B and E on the neck, and the natural G is the raised 7th that gives the scale its tension.
Find the root on the 4th fret of the low E string, or on the 11th fret of the A string. Fb is a lot to read, which is why charts often show the same scale as G# harmonic minor. Learn about choosing a scale for a given chord to put it to use.
Play the Ab harmonic minor scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the Ab harmonic minor scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ab | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Bb | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| Cb | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| Db | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Eb | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Fb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| G | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
Ab harmonic minor scale notes:
How the harmonic minor scale is built:
The harmonic minor scale is built from the degrees 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7, which gives the step pattern W-H-W-W-H-W+H-H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is the parent scale of its own modal family.
It is also known as Aeolian Maj 7.
Ab Harmonic Minor Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (G)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the Ab harmonic minor scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the harmonic minor scale, starting from a different degree.
The harmonic minor scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
