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♭ Aeolian (Minor)
♭6 (plus ♭3 and ♭7): the natural minor sound. Sad, serious: standard rock and pop minor.
Where you hear it: i – ♭VI – ♭VII; the relative minor of a major key.
Step pattern W – H – W – W – H – W – W
- Relative major: B major (this mode starts on its 6th degree)
- Compared with A♭ major: ♭3 C → C♭, ♭6 F → F♭, ♭7 G → G♭
A♭ Aeolian on the guitar
Pick a position below to outline it on the neck.
in the minor pentatonic: playedother notes of Aeolian: 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♭ Aeolian
Every chord in A♭ Aeolian
- A♭m71/16easyfret 4· shell
- B♭m7♭51/12easyfret 1· shell
- C♭maj71/19easyfret 7· shell
- D♭m71/18easyfret 4· shell
- E♭m71/13easyfret 6· shell
- F♭maj71/21easyfret 12· shell
- G♭71/19easyfret 2· shell
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in A♭ Aeolian
A few well-known chord loops that bring out this scale’s sound. Play one through, or tap a chord to hear it.
i – ♭VI – ♭VII
The natural-minor anthem. The roots rise from ♭VI to ♭VII and then fall back to i.
i – ♭VII – ♭VI
The same two chords the other way round: a stepwise slide down from i, through ♭VII to ♭VI. Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” is built on it.
i – ♭VI – ♭III – ♭VII
A four-chord minor loop made of the tonic and the scale’s three major chords.
i – iv – ♭VII – ♭III
The roots rise by a fourth three times in a row (the circle of fifths running backwards), then fall a third back to i.
Sus and extension chords from each chord
From A♭m 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♭ Aeolian.
Hover or focus a small bubble for what it is, click to keep the note open.
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.
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.