A♭ Chromatic at a glance
Chromatic motion is everywhere in Western music. Provides smooth voice leading, passing tones and tension over any chord. Built on the root A♭, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where A♭ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | A♭ B𝄫 B♭ C♭ C D♭ E𝄫 E♭ F♭ F G♭ G |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2m · 2M · 3m · 3M · 4P · 5d · 5P · 6m · 6M · 7m · 7M |
| Step pattern | H H H H H H H H H H H H |
A♭ Chromatic on the piano
Improvisation drone · A♭
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano A♭ Chromatic uses five black keys (A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭ and G♭) and seven white. B𝄫, C♭, E𝄫 and F♭ are the white keys you'd normally call A, B, D and E.
A♭ · B𝄫 · B♭ · C♭ · C · D♭ · E𝄫 · E♭ · F♭ · F · G♭ · G
Play A♭ Chromatic on the online piano
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A♭ Chromatic on the guitar
A♭ Chromatic - fr 0–12
A♭ Chromatic on the staff
Notes of the A♭ Chromatic scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | B𝄫 | minor 2nd2m | 1 | |
| 3 | B♭ | major 2nd2M | 2 | |
| 4 | C♭ | minor 3rd3m | 3 | |
| 5 | C | major 3rd3M | 4 | |
| 6 | D♭ | perfect 4th4P | 5 | |
| 7 | E𝄫 | diminished 5th5d | 6 | |
| 8 | E♭ | perfect 5th5P | 7 | |
| 9 | F♭ | minor 6th6m | 8 | |
| 10 | F | major 6th6M | 9 | |
| 11 | G♭ | minor 7th7m | 10 | |
| 12 | G | major 7th7M | 11 |
What makes A♭ Chromatic different
The chromatic scale holds all twelve pitches of equal temperament, each a half step from the next. Every chord and every other scale is contained in it, so it defines no key and has no tonic of its own. The root on this page only sets the note it starts from. Every other scale on this site is a selection of notes from this one.
How to use the A♭ Chromatic scale
Because A♭ Chromatic has fewer or more than seven notes, it doesn't produce a standard set of seven diatonic triads. Instead, build chords by stacking thirds within the scale or use it as a melodic colour over chords drawn from a related diatonic key.
Chromatic motion is everywhere in Western music. Provides smooth voice leading, passing tones and tension over any chord.
Practice tips
Chromatic exercises build dexterity and pitch awareness. One finger per fret across all six strings, ascending and descending with a metronome.
Formula & step pattern
The A♭ Chromatic scale follows all twelve semitones, the complete set of notes in equal-tempered Western music. Step pattern: H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2m · 2M · 3m · 3M · 4P · 5d · 5P · 6m · 6M · 7m · 7M. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear A♭ Chromatic
Start with the music described above: listen for A♭ Chromatic in it and transcribe a few short phrases by ear. It's the quickest way to learn how the scale sounds.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the A♭ Chromatic scale?
The A♭ Chromatic scale contains A♭, B𝄫, B♭, C♭, C, D♭, E𝄫, E♭, F♭, F, G♭ and G.
What is the formula for the A♭ Chromatic scale?
A♭ Chromatic follows all twelve semitones, the complete set of notes in equal-tempered Western music.
Is A♭ Chromatic a major or minor scale?
A♭ Chromatic is a chromatic scale. All twelve semitones - the source set for every other scale and a tool for tension and color.
What chords belong to the A♭ Chromatic scale?
A♭ Chromatic doesn't produce a standard seven-chord diatonic set. Use chords from a related diatonic scale instead.
Which genres use A♭ Chromatic?
Chromatic motion is everywhere in Western music. Provides smooth voice leading, passing tones and tension over any chord.
How do you play the A♭ Chromatic scale on the piano?
On the piano A♭ Chromatic uses five black keys (A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭ and G♭) and seven white. B𝄫, C♭, E𝄫 and F♭ are the white keys you'd normally call A, B, D and E.
How do I practise the A♭ Chromatic scale?
Chromatic exercises build dexterity and pitch awareness. One finger per fret across all six strings, ascending and descending with a metronome.