guitar scale
A♭ natural minor
The major scale started from its sixth degree: same seven notes, a different centre of gravity.
The same sounds spelled from the other side are G♯ natural minor.
Written out
Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.
The step pattern
What is true of it
A♭ natural minor is A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭ and G♭, and back to A♭.
Its steps are W – H – W – W – H – W – W, where W is a whole step and H a half.
It costs 7 alterations to write — near the limit of what a key signature can carry.
On the same tonic, A♭ harmonic minor differs from it by exactly one note.
Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 45 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.
Chords made only of these notes
Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.