Fretwise Get the app

Guitar scale · Ionian augmented

Ab Ionian #5 Scale

Mode 3 of Harmonic Minor: the major scale with a raised 5th, also called Ionian augmented.

Notes AbBbCDbEFG
Formula 1 2 3 4 ♯5 6 7
Steps W W H W+H H W H
Mood Bright, Floating, Unresolved
Heard in Modal Improvisation, Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

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

How to play Ab Ionian #5 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 Bb
3 C
4 Db
♯5 E
6 F
7 G

Chords in Ab Ionian #5

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Ab Ionian #5; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
I+ Abaug Abmaj7#5 Tonic
ii Bbm Bbm7 Supertonic
III C C7 Mediant
IV Db Dbmaj7 Subdominant
♯v° Edim Edim7 Dominant
vi Fm Fm(maj7) Submediant
vii° Gdim Gm7b5 Leading tone / subtonic

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise Ab Ionian #5 anywhere, even offline.

This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.

Get it free onGoogle Play Download on theApp Store

Free

  • 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
  • A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

One purchase

  • 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
  • No subscription, ads removed

Questions

What notes are in the Ab Ionian #5 Scale?
The Ab Ionian #5 Scale has 7 notes: Ab, Bb, C, Db, E, F, G.
What chords are in the Ab Ionian #5 Scale?
The chords of Ab Ionian #5 are Abaug (I+), Bbm (ii), C (III), Db (IV), Edim (♯v°), Fm (vi), Gdim (vii°).
What is the formula of the ionian #5 scale?
1 2 3 4 ♯5 6 7, which is the step pattern W W H W+H H W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play Ab Ionian #5 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.

Ionian #5 Scale in every key

C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B

More scales in Ab

Ab Major Ab Minor Ab Minor Pentatonic Ab Major Pentatonic Ab Blues Ab Major Blues Ab Dorian Ab Phrygian Ab Lydian Ab Mixolydian Ab Locrian Ab Harmonic Minor Ab Phrygian Dominant Ab Melodic Minor Ab Lydian Dominant Ab Lydian Augmented Ab Altered Ab Whole Tone Ab Half-Whole Diminished Ab Whole-Half Diminished Ab Bebop Dominant Ab Hungarian Minor Ab Dorian b2 Ab Mixolydian b6 Ab Locrian Natural 2 Ab Locrian Natural 6 Ab Ukrainian Dorian Ab Lydian #2 Ab Ultralocrian Ab Harmonic Major Ab Dorian b5 Ab Lydian b3 Ab Double Harmonic Major Ab Oriental Ab Neapolitan Minor Ab Neapolitan Major Ab Augmented Ab Bebop Major Ab Bebop Dorian Ab Yo Ab Hirajoshi Ab In Ab In Sen Ab Iwato Ab Phrygian b4 Ab Mixolydian b2 Ab Lydian Augmented #2 Ab Locrian bb7 Ab Lydian #2 #6 Ab Ultraphrygian Ab Ionian Augmented #2 Ab Locrian bb3 bb7 Ab Leading Whole Tone Ab Major Locrian Ab Lydian Dominant b6 Ab Hungarian Major Ab Persian Ab Enigmatic Ab Prometheus Ab Tritone Ab Bebop Melodic Minor Ab Bebop Harmonic Minor Ab Egyptian Pentatonic Ab Man Gong