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Guitar scale · augmented hexatonic

Ab Augmented Scale

Six-note symmetrical scale that alternates a minor 3rd and a half step: 1 ♯2 3 5 ♯5 7. It holds two augmented triads.

Notes AbBCEbEG
Formula 1 ♯2 3 5 ♯5 7
Steps W+H H W+H H W+H H
Mood Symmetrical, Modern, Floating
Heard in Over augmented and maj7♯5 chords, Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

Ab Augmented Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

Ab Augmented Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 4–8
e|-------------------------4-7-8-|
B|---------------------5-8-------|
G|---------------4-5-8-----------|
D|-----------5-6-----------------|
A|-------6-7---------------------|
E|-4-7-8-------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 6–10
e|---------------------------7-8-|
B|-----------------------8-9-----|
G|-------------------8-9---------|
D|------------6-9-10-------------|
A|-----6-7-10--------------------|
E|-7-8---------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 8–12
e|--------------------------------8-11-12-|
B|---------------------------9-12---------|
G|--------------------8-9-12--------------|
D|---------------9-10---------------------|
A|---------10-11--------------------------|
E|-8-11-12--------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 11–15
e|-------------------------------------11-12-15-|
B|-------------------------------12-13----------|
G|-------------------------12-13----------------|
D|-------------------13-14----------------------|
A|----------11-14-15----------------------------|
E|-11-12-15-------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 13–17
e|-------------------------------------15-16-|
B|-------------------------------16-17-------|
G|----------------------13-16-17-------------|
D|-------------13-14-17----------------------|
A|-------14-15-------------------------------|
E|-15-16-------------------------------------|

How to play Ab Augmented on guitar

Find the root first: Ab is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Ab on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.

Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 4–8. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 Ab
♯2 B
3 C
5 Eb
♯5 E
7 G

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Questions

What notes are in the Ab Augmented Scale?
The Ab Augmented Scale has 6 notes: Ab, B, C, Eb, E, G.
What is the formula of the augmented scale?
1 ♯2 3 5 ♯5 7, which is the step pattern W+H H W+H H W+H H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play Ab Augmented on the guitar?
The root Ab is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 4–8, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Augmented Scale in every key

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