F♭ Aeolian at a glance
Aeolian is just natural minor under a different name. It dominates pop, rock and folk in minor keys. Reach for it any time you want a warm, melancholic mood. Built on the root F♭, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where F♭ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | F♭ G♭ A𝄫 B𝄫 C♭ D𝄫 E𝄫 |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2M · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6m · 7m |
| Step pattern | W H W W H W W |
| Chords in the key | F♭mG♭°A𝄫B𝄫mC♭mD𝄫E𝄫 |
Chords in the F♭ Aeolian scale
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
F♭ Aeolian on the piano
Improvisation drone · F♭
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano F♭ Aeolian uses one black key (G♭) and six white. F♭, A𝄫, B𝄫, C♭, D𝄫 and E𝄫 are the white keys you'd normally call E, G, A, B, C and D.
F♭ · G♭ · A𝄫 · B𝄫 · C♭ · D𝄫 · E𝄫
Play F♭ Aeolian on the online piano
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F♭ Aeolian on the guitar
F♭ Aeolian - fr 0–12
F♭ Aeolian on the staff
Notes of the F♭ Aeolian scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♭ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | G♭ | major 2nd2M | 2 | |
| 3 | A𝄫 | minor 3rd3m | 3 | |
| 4 | B𝄫 | perfect 4th4P | 5 | |
| 5 | C♭ | perfect 5th5P | 7 | |
| 6 | D𝄫 | minor 6th6m | 8 | |
| 7 | E𝄫 | minor 7th7m | 10 |
What makes F♭ Aeolian different
Aeolian is the modal name for natural minor: same notes, same intervals. It's the sixth mode of the major scale, so it shares its notes with the major scale a minor third above its root. Two notes place it among its neighbours: the minor sixth separates it from Dorian, and the major second separates it from Phrygian. Its i, iv and v chords are all minor, with major chords on ♭III, ♭VI and ♭VII, the set behind the ♭VI, ♭VII, i cadence of rock and film music. On F♭, F♭ Aeolian has D𝄫 where F♭ Dorian has D♭; every other note is shared with F♭ Dorian (F♭ G♭ A𝄫 B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E𝄫).
Modes from F♭ Aeolian
Each note of this scale produces a different mode with its own character.
How to use the F♭ Aeolian scale
The diatonic chords of F♭ Aeolian are: i = F♭m, ii° = G♭°, III = A𝄫, iv = B𝄫m, v = C♭m, VI = D𝄫, VII = E𝄫. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in F♭ Aeolian. Each one in the chord table on this page opens its own diagram and progressions.
Aeolian is just natural minor under a different name. It dominates pop, rock and folk in minor keys. Reach for it any time you want a warm, melancholic mood.
Practice tips
Treat aeolian as natural minor for practice purposes. Compare it to its relative major to lock in the position relationships.
Formula & step pattern
The F♭ Aeolian scale follows the natural minor pattern (W-H-W-W-H-W-W), identical to the natural minor scale. Step pattern: W - H - W - W - H - W - W. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2M · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6m · 7m. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear F♭ Aeolian
Start with the music described above: listen for F♭ Aeolian 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 F♭ Aeolian scale?
The F♭ Aeolian scale contains F♭, G♭, A𝄫, B𝄫, C♭, D𝄫 and E𝄫.
What is the formula for the F♭ Aeolian scale?
F♭ Aeolian follows the natural minor pattern (W-H-W-W-H-W-W), identical to the natural minor scale.
Is F♭ Aeolian a major or minor scale?
F♭ Aeolian is a aeolian scale. Identical to natural minor - the classic minor mode of the Western system.
What chords belong to the F♭ Aeolian scale?
The diatonic chords of F♭ Aeolian are F♭m, G♭°, A𝄫, B𝄫m, C♭m, D𝄫, E𝄫.
Which genres use F♭ Aeolian?
Aeolian is just natural minor under a different name. It dominates pop, rock and folk in minor keys. Reach for it any time you want a warm, melancholic mood.
How do you play the F♭ Aeolian scale on the piano?
On the piano F♭ Aeolian uses one black key (G♭) and six white. F♭, A𝄫, B𝄫, C♭, D𝄫 and E𝄫 are the white keys you'd normally call E, G, A, B, C and D.
What is the difference between F♭ Aeolian and F♭ Dorian?
On F♭, F♭ Aeolian has D𝄫 where F♭ Dorian has D♭; every other note is shared with F♭ Dorian (F♭ G♭ A𝄫 B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E𝄫).
What is the relative key of F♭ Aeolian?
The relative key of F♭ Aeolian is G Major. It uses the same notes (G A B C D E F♯) starting from G, so the two share a key signature.
How do I practise the F♭ Aeolian scale?
Treat aeolian as natural minor for practice purposes. Compare it to its relative major to lock in the position relationships.