Chord Colors

A♭ Melodic Minor Ascending scale

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About the A flat Melodic Minor Ascending scale

A flat Melodic Minor Ascending is used for jazz, film scores and classical melodies that rise out of a minor key. Think of it as a minor scale with a major sixth and seventh on the way up, smooth and modern. It is A Major with the third lowered.

Its notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The formula is W H W W W W H.

Also called Jazz Minor and Melodic Minor. Jazz players usually call this scale the jazz minor scale.

Learn more about the A♭ Melodic Minor Ascending scale

An unfretted guitar already sounds G and B from the key. Down at the 4th fret of the low E string lies the lowest A a guitar can play. Capo the first fret to play A Melodic Minor Ascending with G-shape fingerings.

Positions

Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.

CAGED

Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.

G shapefr 1
E shapefr 3
D shapefr 5
C shapefr 8
A shapefr 10
3NPS

3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.

Shape 1fr 1
Shape 2fr 2
Shape 3fr 4
Shape 4fr 6
Shape 5fr 7
Shape 6fr 9
Shape 7fr 11
7-position system

7 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.

Position 1fr 1
Position 2fr 3
Position 3fr 4
Position 4fr 6
Position 5fr 7
Position 6fr 9
Position 7fr 11

Chords in the key of A flat Melodic Minor Ascending

Expand a chord to see how to play it.

i A flat minor
Position 1 of 4
4fr
ii B flat minor
Position 1 of 4
III+ C flat augmented
Position 1 of 4
IV D flat
Position 1 of 4
V E flat
Position 1 of 4
vi° F diminished
Position 1 of 4
vii° G diminished
Position 1 of 4

Seventh chords in A flat Melodic Minor Ascending

The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.

i A flat minor major seven
Position 1 of 4
ii B flat minor seven
Position 1 of 4
III+ C flat major seven sharp five
Position 1 of 4
IV D flat seven
Position 1 of 4
V E flat seven
Position 1 of 4
vi° F minor seven flat five
Position 1 of 4
vii° G minor seven flat five
Position 1 of 4

Progressions in A flat Melodic Minor Ascending

Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.

Notes and intervals

1AbA♭Root
2BbB♭Major 2nd
3CbC♭Minor 3rd
4DbD♭Perfect 4th
5EbE♭Perfect 5th
6FFMajor 6th
7GGMajor 7th
StepsW H W W W W H
Semitones2-1-2-2-2-2-1
Degrees1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Melodic Minor Ascending in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

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Ab Melodic Minor Ascending scale on guitar shown as colored note dots
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