The A♭ Harmonic Major scale contains seven notes: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, and G. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern W-W-H-W-H-A2-H.
A♭ Harmonic Major Scale Notes
| Degree | Name | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | A♭ | P1 |
| 2 | Supertonic | B♭ | M2 |
| 3 | Mediant | C | M3 |
| 4 | Subdominant | D♭ | P4 |
| 5 | Dominant | E♭ | P5 |
| 6 | Submediant | F♭ | m6 |
| 7 | Leading Tone | G | M7 |
| 8 | Octave | A♭ | — |
Key Signature
The notes of the A♭ Harmonic Major Scale come from Ab Major, so it carries that key signature: 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).
B♭E♭A♭D♭
Written as accidentals
F♭
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Diatonic Chords in the A♭ Harmonic Major Scale
These are the triads built on each degree of the A♭ Harmonic Major Scale:
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | A♭ Major | Major |
| 2 | ii° | B♭ Diminished | Diminished |
| 3 | iii | C Minor | Minor |
| 4 | iv | D♭ Minor | Minor |
| 5 | V | E♭ Major | Major |
| 6 | VI+ | F♭ Augmented | Augmented |
| 7 | vii° | G Diminished | Diminished |
A♭ Harmonic Major Scale — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the notes of the A♭ Harmonic Major Scale on piano?
The A♭ Harmonic Major Scale uses the notes A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F♭ – G – A♭. Play them in order from the root up to the octave, hands separately first, then together.
What notes are in the Ab Harmonic Major Scale?
The Ab Harmonic Major Scale contains seven notes: Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – Fb – G. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does Ab Harmonic Major have?
The Ab Harmonic Major Scale doesn't correspond to a single major or minor key, so it has no standard key signature. Its notes are written with accidentals as needed: A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭, F♭.
What is the relative minor of Ab Harmonic Major?
The relative minor of Ab Harmonic Major is F Minor. Both scales share the same key signature and the same seven notes — the difference is which note feels like "home." That's why a song in C major and a song in A minor look identical on the staff but feel completely different.
What is the parallel minor of Ab Harmonic Major?
The parallel minor of Ab Harmonic Major is Ab Minor. "Parallel" means same root, opposite mode — the third, sixth, and seventh are all a half-step lower in the minor version. Modal interchange (borrowing chords from the parallel key) is one of the most useful tricks in pop and jazz writing.
What does the Ab Harmonic Major Scale sound like?
The Ab Harmonic Major Scale has a distinctive sound shaped by its specific interval pattern. Listen to the audio playback above to hear the character on every note.