A♭ Whole Tone Scale
Hear the A♭ Whole Tone Scale played for you.
A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E – G♭ – A♭
Formula:W-W-W-W-W-W
Intervals:P1-M2-M3-A4-A5-m7
Introduction
The A♭ Whole Tone scale contains six notes: A♭, B♭, C, D, E, and G♭. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern W-W-W-W-W-W.
A♭ Whole Tone Scale Notes
| Degree | Name | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | A♭ | P1 |
| 2 | Supertonic | B♭ | M2 |
| 3 | Mediant | C | M3 |
| 4 | Subdominant | D | A4 |
| 5 | Dominant | E | A5 |
| 6 | Submediant | G♭ | m7 |
| 7 | Leading Tone | A♭ | — |
Key Signature
The key of Ab Whole Tone 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.
B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of A♭ Whole Tone Scale
These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the A♭ Whole Tone Scale:
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
I — A♭ Major (major)
A♭ Whole Tone Scale — Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in the Ab Whole Tone Scale?
The Ab Whole Tone Scale contains six notes: Ab – Bb – C – D – E – Gb. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does Ab Whole Tone have?
The key of Ab Whole Tone 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 Tone Scale sound like?
The Ab Whole Tone Scale has a dreamy, ambiguous quality with no half-steps — used by Debussy and in dream sequences. 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.