Ab Aeolian Mode

What is the Ab Aeolian Mode?

The Aeolian mode is the sixth mode of the major scale and is identical to the natural minor scale. Thinking of it as a mode helps you understand its relationship to the other six modes and makes it easier to shift between modal colors when improvising over diatonic progressions. Here's how the Ab Aeolian Mode lays out on the fretboard. This scale is enharmonically equivalent to G# Aeolian.

Notes and Positions

The sixth mode - identical to the natural minor scale. Sad and introspective. On guitar, the same scale tones repeat in multiple positions, so the real goal is learning how to connect shapes up and down the neck. Use the CAGED boxes as smaller practice areas before linking the full fretboard. In the key of Ab, the notes are: Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, Gb.

How to Use It

You'll often hear it in Rock, Metal, Classical, and R&B. A good way to internalize the sound is to sing the root, then sing a few scale degrees before you play them.

Loop a simple backing track in the same key and target the root on strong beats. Use the interactive fretboard above to spot repeats of the same note on different strings and frets.