Explore scales · Ukulele
A♭ melodic minor scale on ukulele
A♭ melodic minor contains A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G. Box 1 spans frets 1–4 with roots on string 4 fret 1 and string 2 fret 4.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7
How do you play the A♭ melodic minor scale on ukulele?
A♭ melodic minor in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 11 notes across 4 strings, from D♭ on the C string at fret 1 up to D♭ on the A string at fret 4. The root falls on the G string at fret 1 and the E string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1, 3, 4 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (C) | 1, 3 | D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (E) | 1, 3, 4 | F, G, A♭ |
| 1 (A) | 1, 2, 4 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
A♭ melodic minor in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 10 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the C string at fret 3 up to E♭ on the A string at fret 6. The root falls on the E string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3, 4, 6 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
| 3 (C) | 3, 5 | E♭, F |
| 2 (E) | 3, 4, 6 | G, A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (A) | 4, 6 | D♭, E♭ |
Box 3 · frets 5–8
A♭ melodic minor in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 9 notes across 4 strings, from F on the C string at fret 5 up to F on the A string at fret 8. The root falls on the C string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (C) | 5, 7, 8 | F, G, A♭ |
| 2 (E) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (A) | 6, 8 | E♭, F |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
A♭ melodic minor in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the C string at fret 8 up to A♭ on the A string at fret 11. The root falls on the C string at fret 8 and the A string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8, 10 | E♭, F |
| 3 (C) | 8, 10, 11 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (E) | 9, 11 | D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 8, 10, 11 | F, G, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
Lower the third of A♭ major to C♭ and keep the raised sixth and seventh. The result is 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7 with intervals 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. Compare it with A♭ major to hear the single-note difference.
When to use it
Use it over A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords in jazz and fusion. The raised sixth and seventh smooth lines over A♭ minor and A♭ 5th. It fits minor-key vamps and modal interchange.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first. It keeps the root on string 4 fret 1 and covers frets 1–4, setting up the shift to Box 2.
Common questions
Which notes are in A♭ melodic minor?
The notes are A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, and G. The scale has a minor third and major sixth and seventh. This gives it a brighter sound than natural minor. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What chords fit A♭ melodic minor?
The tonic chord is A♭ minor. The fourth and fifth degrees are D♭ major and E♭ major. The sixth and seventh degrees are F minor 7♭5 and G minor 7♭5.
How does A♭ melodic minor differ from A♭ major?
A♭ melodic minor has a flat third compared to A♭ major. The sixth and seventh degrees are the same. Only the note C♭ differs from C.