About the A flat Iraq (Arabian) scale
A flat Iraq (Arabian) is used for Middle Eastern flavored and experimental writing. Think of it as a dense maqam-flavored eight-note scale.
Its notes are A♭, A, C♭, D♭, D, F♭, G♭, and G. The formula is H W W H W W H H. It is the eighth mode of A Bebop Dominant.
An unfretted guitar already sounds E, A, D, G, and B from this scale. A guitarist finds the lowest A♭ at the 4th fret of the low E string. A capo at the first fret brings A♭ Iraq (Arabian) within reach of G-shape fingerings.
Positions
Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.
8-position system
8 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | AbA♭ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | AA | Minor 2nd |
| 3 | CbC♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | DbD♭ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | DD | Augmented 4th |
| 6 | FbF♭ | Minor 6th |
| 7 | GbG♭ | Minor 7th |
| 8 | GG | Major 7th |
| Steps | H W W H W W H H |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 1-2-2-1-2-2-1-1 |
| Degrees | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♯4 ♭6 ♭7 7 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Iraq (Arabian) in other keys
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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