Scale reference
A♭ major scale
A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G
The A♭ major scale runs A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G and then back to A♭. It follows the major step pattern — tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone — which is what makes it major rather than any other kind of scale.
It uses each letter name once, which is why it is written with 4 flats.
The notes
The step pattern
Every major scale uses the same sequence of steps. Change the starting note and the pattern is what you keep.
- A♭1tone
- B♭2tone
- C3semi
- D♭4tone
- E♭5tone
- F6tone
- G7semi
- A♭8
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Interval from A♭ | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | Tonic | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 2 | B♭ | Supertonic | Major second | 2 |
| 3 | C | Mediant | Major third | 4 |
| 4 | D♭ | Subdominant | Perfect fourth | 5 |
| 5 | E♭ | Dominant | Perfect fifth | 7 |
| 6 | F | Submediant | Major sixth | 9 |
| 7 | G | Leading tone | Major seventh | 11 |
Key signature
A♭ major is the scale of the key of A♭ major, which has 4 flats. The key page lists the seven chords built on these notes.