Playing the Ab Indian Scale
The Ab Indian scale is spelled Ab, Bbb, Db, Eb and Fb, a run of flats that hides two ordinary notes: Bbb is A and Fb is E.
On the fretboard the shape is the same as in every other key, with the root on the 4th fret of the low E string or the 11th fret of the A string. If the double flat bothers you, the G# Indian page lists the same pitches with sharps.
Play the Ab indian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the Ab indian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ab | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Bbb | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| Db | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Eb | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Fb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
Structure
Ab indian scale notes:
How the indian scale is built:
The indian scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 4 5 b6, which gives the step pattern H-WW-W-H-WW (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 5, 7, 8. That makes it a 5-note scale.
Ab Indian 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
Other scales on Ab
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- Ab Japanese: 2 instead of b2
- Ab Phrygian: adds the b3 and b7
- Ab Bizantine: adds the 3 and 7
- Ab Phrygian Dominant: adds the 3 and b7
The indian scale in other keys
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Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
