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Fig. 1 · Ab major · first 12 frets

ukulele scale

A♭ major

A♭1B♭2C3D♭4E♭5F6G7

The seven-note scale everything else is measured against: two whole steps, a half, three whole steps, a half.

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

on guitaron pianothe key signature

Written out

Fig. 2 · Ab major, 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♭WCHD♭WE♭WFWGHA♭

What is true of it

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

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

On the same tonic, A♭ melodic minor differs from it by exactly one note.

Across the first twelve frets of the ukulele its notes fall in 30 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

CmminorCm7minor seventhD♭majorD♭maj7major seventhE♭majorE♭7dominant seventhFmminorFm7minor seventh

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

Other scales on A♭

A♭ harmonic majormajorA♭ natural minorminorA♭ harmonic minorminorA♭ melodic minorminor

C majC♯ majD♭ majD majD♯ majE♭ majE majF majall 374