SCALE REFERENCE

A♭ Diminished (Half–Whole)

A♭ – A – B – C – D – E♭ – F – G♭1 b2 b3 3 #4 5 6 b7

Also written G♯ Diminished (Half–Whole) — the same pitches spelled the other way.

Half then whole steps — the scale over a 7b9 chord, giving the b9, #9, #11 and 13. The other half of the octatonic pair.

Notes & degrees
A♭1Ab2Bb3C3D#4E♭5F6G♭b7
NotesAb, A, B, C, D, Eb, F, Gb
StepsH – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledDominant Diminished
Piano
ABCDFA♭E♭G♭
Guitar & ukulele — every position (frets 0–12)
357912eFG♭A♭ABCDE♭BBCDE♭FG♭A♭ABGA♭ABCDE♭FG♭DDE♭FG♭A♭ABCDAABCDE♭FG♭A♭AEFG♭A♭ABCDE♭

Root notes are red. The full map of the scale on the guitar neck; the common box patterns are groups of these notes.

357912AABCDE♭FG♭A♭AEFG♭A♭ABCDE♭CCDE♭FG♭A♭ABCGA♭ABCDE♭FG♭

The same scale on a ukulele in standard G–C–E–A tuning.

Other scales on A♭

Core scales & modes

A♭ MajorA♭ Natural MinorA♭ Harmonic MinorA♭ Melodic MinorA♭ DorianA♭ PhrygianA♭ LydianA♭ MixolydianA♭ Locrian

Pentatonic & blues

A♭ Major PentatonicA♭ Minor PentatonicA♭ BluesA♭ Major Blues

Jazz & altered

A♭ Harmonic MajorA♭ Phrygian DominantA♭ Lydian DominantA♭ AlteredA♭ Bebop Dominant

Symmetric

A♭ Whole ToneA♭ Diminished (Whole–Half)A♭ Augmented Scale

World & exotic

A♭ Hungarian MinorA♭ Double Harmonic MajorA♭ Neapolitan Minor
Diminished (Half–Whole) on another root
CC♯D♭DE♭D♯EFF♯G♭GA♭G♯AB♭A♯B
Keep exploring

See the diatonic chords with audio in the Scale & Chord Finder, find where a key sits among the others on the Circle of Fifths, or start the free Cloud Atelier music guides.