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A♭ blues diminished scale on guitar
A♭ blues diminished runs A♭, B♭♭, C♭, C, E♭♭, E♭, F, G♭. Box 1 starts on string 6, fret 4 and covers frets 1–4.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, 3, ♭5, 5, 6, ♭7
How do you play the A♭ blues diminished scale on guitar?
A♭ blues diminished in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 17 notes across 6 strings, from F on the low E string at fret 1 up to A♭ on the high e string at fret 4. The root falls on the low E string at fret 4, the G string at fret 1 and the high e string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1, 2, 4 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 5 (A) | 2, 3 | C♭, C |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3, 4 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 3 (G) | 1, 2, 4 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
| 2 (B) | 1, 3, 4 | C, E♭♭, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 2, 4 | F, G♭, A♭ |
Box 2 · frets 4–7
A♭ blues diminished in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 17 notes across 6 strings, from A♭ on the low E string at fret 4 up to C♭ on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the low E string at fret 4, the D string at fret 6 and the high e string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4, 5, 7 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 5, 6 | E♭♭, E♭ |
| 4 (D) | 4, 6, 7 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 3 (G) | 4, 5, 7 | C♭, C, E♭♭ |
| 2 (B) | 4, 6, 7 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 1 (e) | 4, 5, 7 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
Box 3 · frets 7–10
A♭ blues diminished in box 3 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 17 notes across 6 strings, from C♭ on the low E string at fret 7 up to E♭♭ on the high e string at fret 10. The root falls on the B string at fret 9.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 8, 10 | C♭, C, E♭♭ |
| 5 (A) | 8, 9 | F, G♭ |
| 4 (D) | 7, 9, 10 | B♭♭, C♭, C |
| 3 (G) | 7, 8, 10 | E♭♭, E♭, F |
| 2 (B) | 7, 9, 10 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (e) | 7, 8, 10 | C♭, C, E♭♭ |
Box 4 · frets 10–13
A♭ blues diminished in box 4 runs from fret 10 to fret 13, 17 notes across 6 strings, from E♭♭ on the low E string at fret 10 up to F on the high e string at fret 13. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10, 11, 13 | E♭♭, E♭, F |
| 5 (A) | 11, 12 | A♭, B♭♭ |
| 4 (D) | 10, 12, 13 | C, E♭♭, E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 10, 11, 13 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (B) | 10, 12, 13 | B♭♭, C♭, C |
| 1 (e) | 10, 11, 13 | E♭♭, E♭, F |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ blues diminished adds a ♭2 to A♭ hungarian major, keeping the same ♭3, 3, ♭5, 5, 6, ♭7. The scale alternates half and whole steps, creating a tritone between A♭ and E♭♭. Compare it with A♭ hungarian major to hear the added minor 2nd.
When to use it
A♭ blues diminished fits A♭ major and A♭ minor chords, adding tension with the ♭2 and ♭5. Use the supplied linked chords to hear its tension without adding unsupported harmony.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first: the root sits on string 6, fret 4, covering frets 1–4 and setting up the next position.
Common questions
What notes are in A♭ blues diminished?
A♭ blues diminished contains A♭, B♭♭, C♭, C, E♭♭, E♭, F, and G♭. The scale includes both minor and major thirds, a diminished fifth, and a minor seventh. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords work with A♭ blues diminished?
A♭ blues diminished works over A♭ major and A♭ minor chords. The scale's ♭2 and ♭5 create tension that resolves to chord tones.
Is A♭ blues diminished the same as A♭ diminished?
A♭ blues diminished is an eight-note scale, not a diminished seventh chord. It combines a blues scale with a half-whole diminished pattern.