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A♭ Whole-Half Diminished Scale

Hear the A♭ Whole-Half Diminished Scale played for you.

A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E𝄫 – F♭ – F – G – A♭
Formula:W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H
Intervals:P1-M2-m3-P4-d5-m6-M6-M7

Introduction

The A♭ Whole-Half Diminished scale contains eight notes: A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E𝄫, F♭, F, and G. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H.

A♭ Whole-Half Diminished Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1TonicA♭P1
2SupertonicB♭M2
3MediantC♭m3
4SubdominantD♭P4
5DominantE𝄫d5
6SubmediantF♭m6
7Leading ToneFM6
8OctaveGM7
9Degree 9A♭

Key Signature

The key of Ab Whole-Half Diminished has 4 flats.

B♭E♭A♭D♭

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.

BEADGCF

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of A♭ Whole-Half Diminished Scale

These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the A♭ Whole-Half Diminished Scale:

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
IA♭ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IA♭ MajorMajor
2iiB♭ MinorMinor
3iiiC MinorMinor
4IVD♭ MajorMajor
5VE♭ MajorMajor
6viF MinorMinor
7vii°G DiminishedDiminished

A♭ Whole-Half Diminished Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Ab Whole-Half Diminished Scale?
The Ab Whole-Half Diminished Scale contains eight notes: Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Ebb – Fb – F – G. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does Ab Whole-Half Diminished have?
The key of Ab Whole-Half Diminished has 4 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭. Flats are added in a fixed order — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭ — the reverse of the sharp order.
What does the Ab Whole-Half Diminished Scale sound like?
The Ab Whole-Half Diminished Scale has a distinctive sound shaped by its specific interval pattern. Listen to the audio playback above to hear the character on every note.

Related Tools

Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.