Scale Detail
Ab Aeolian — Ab A♭ Minor
The Ab natural minor scale (Aeolian mode) is the sixth mode of the major scale and the most commonly used minor scale. Dark, emotional, and deeply expressive, it is the foundation of minor key harmony in virtually every genre of Western music.
Formula: W – H – W – W – H – W – W
Dark, melancholic, emotionally deep, and dramatic. The definitive minor sound — the most common minor mode.
The Aeolian mode starts on the sixth degree of the major scale. Its formula W–H–W–W–H–W–W is the same as the natural minor scale. Starting on Ab, this gives Ab, Bb, B, C#, Eb, E, F#. Compared to the major scale (Ionian), Aeolian has three lowered notes: the third (♭3), the sixth (♭6), and the seventh (♭7). These lowered intervals are responsible for the minor, melancholic quality. The flat sixth distinguishes natural minor from Dorian (which has a raised sixth). The v chord in Aeolian is a minor chord (not dominant as in harmonic minor), which means phrases in natural minor often end on ♭VII – i rather than V – i. The relative relationship between major and natural minor is fundamental: C major and A natural minor share all the same notes — C major starting on A gives A natural minor.
The Aeolian mode is the natural minor scale — the second most common scale in Western music. Its half-step pattern creates a sense of melancholy, weight, and emotional honesty that has anchored countless songs across every genre.
🌧️ Other melancholic sounds to explore
Chords that naturally occur in the A♭ Minor Scale:
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