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Fig. 1 · Ab Dorian · first 12 frets

ukulele scale

A♭ Dorian

A♭1B♭2C♭♭3D♭4E♭5F6G♭♭7

Minor with a natural sixth. The second mode of the major scale.

The same sounds spelled from the other side are G♯ Dorian.

on guitaron piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · Ab Dorian, ascending

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

A♭WB♭HC♭WD♭WE♭WFHG♭WA♭

What is true of it

A♭ Dorian is A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F and G♭, and back to A♭.

Its steps are W – H – W – W – W – H – W, where W is a whole step and H a half.

It costs 6 alterations to write — near the limit of what a key signature can carry.

On the same tonic, A♭ natural minor differs from it by exactly one note.

Across the first twelve frets of the ukulele its notes fall in 28 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

D♭majorD♭7dominant seventhE♭mminorE♭m7minor seventhFdimdiminishedFm7♭5half-diminished seventhG♭majorG♭maj7major seventh

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on A♭

A♭ PhrygianmodeA♭ LydianmodeA♭ MixolydianmodeA♭ majormajorA♭ natural minorminorA♭ harmonic minorminor

C dorC♯ dorD♭ dorD dorD♯ dorE♭ dorE dorF dorall 374