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Fig. 1 · Ab whole tone · first 12 frets

guitar scale

A♭ whole tone

A♭1B♭2C3D♯4E♯5F♯♯6

Six notes, every step a whole one. There are only two of these scales in all, and every note can be heard as the tonic.

The same sounds spelled from the other side are G♯ whole tone.

on ukuleleon piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · Ab whole tone, 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♭WB♭WCWDWEWF♯WA♭

What is true of it

A♭ whole tone is A♭, B♭, C, D, E and F♯, and back to A♭.

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

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 39 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

CaugaugmentedDaugaugmentedEaugaugmentedF♯augaugmentedA♭augaugmentedB♭augaugmented

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 6 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on A♭

A♭ diminished (whole–half)symmetricA♭ diminished (half–whole)symmetricA♭ majormajorA♭ natural minorminorA♭ harmonic minorminor

C w.t.C♯ w.t.D♭ w.t.D w.t.D♯ w.t.E♭ w.t.E w.t.F w.t.all 374