Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
A♭ Ionian (Major)
Natural 4th and 7th: the "plain" major sound. Bright, resolved, stable.
Where you hear it: Pop, folk and classical. Imaj7 over everything.
Step pattern W – W – H – W – W – W – H
- Relative minor: F natural minor (starts on the 6th degree of A♭ major)
- Compared with A♭ natural minor: ♯3 C♭ → C, ♯6 F♭ → F, ♯7 G♭ → G
A♭ Ionian on the guitar
Pick a position below to outline it on the neck.
in the major pentatonic: playedother notes of Ionian: not playedPlay runs up the position from its lowest note and back down; Sample melody plays a short tune using only its notes. Tap a position's name to see it on the neck.
Modes with the same notes as A♭ Ionian
Every chord in A♭ Ionian
- A♭maj71/19easyfret 4· shell
- B♭m71/18easyfret 1· shell
- Cm71/13easyfret 3· shell
- D♭maj71/20easyfret 9· shell
- E♭71/19easyfret 8· shell
- Fm71/16easyfret 1· shell
- Gm7♭51/12easyfret 3· shell
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in A♭ Ionian
A few well-known chord loops that bring out this scale’s sound. Play one through, or tap a chord to hear it.
I – V – vi – IV
The pop progression: home, the bright V, the sadder vi, then the IV that cushions the return. Four triads, no outside notes, which is why hundreds of songs share it.
I – IV – V
The three primary chords. I, IV and V are all major and between them they use all seven notes of the scale. Folk, country, early rock and the skeleton of the blues.
ii – V – I
The ii–V–I, the basic move of jazz. The roots fall by a fifth each time, the strongest motion in harmony, and the sevenths make every chord lean on the next.
I – vi – IV – V
The 1950s doo-wop turnaround. The vi gives a sad step, the IV lifts, and the V sets up the return to I.
Sus and extension chords from each chord
From A♭ you can go through the 2nd of the scale to sus2 and 9 chords, through the 4th to sus4 and 11, and so on. All seven chords of A♭ Ionian.
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Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.