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Fig. 1 · Ab double harmonic · first 12 frets

guitar scale

A♭ double harmonic

A♭1B♭♭♭2C3D♭4E♭5F♭♭6G7

Two augmented seconds in one scale, one above the tonic and one below the octave.

The same sounds spelled from the other side are G♯ double harmonic.

on ukuleleon piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · Ab double harmonic, ascending

Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.

The step pattern

A♭HB♭♭W+HCHD♭WE♭HF♭W+HGHA♭

What is true of it

A♭ double harmonic is A♭, B♭♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭ and G, and back to A♭.

Its steps are H – W+H – H – W – H – W+H – H, where W is a whole step and H a half.

Written correctly it needs 6 alterations, B♭♭ among them. That is what the letters force, and it is also why nobody writes music in this key: the same notes spelled from the other side are easier to read.

On the same tonic, A♭ harmonic major differs from it by exactly one note.

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 46 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

CmajorCmminorCaugaugmentedD♭mminorD♭dimdiminishedA♭majorA♭augaugmentedA♭maj7major seventh

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on A♭

A♭ Phrygian dominantexoticA♭ Lydian dominantexoticA♭ alteredexoticA♭ majormajorA♭ natural minorminorA♭ harmonic minorminor

C dbl harmC♯ dbl harmD♭ dbl harmD dbl harmD♯ dbl harmE♭ dbl harmE dbl harmF dbl harmall 374