A♭ Mixolydian Mode
Notes in the A♭ Mixolydian Mode
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | A♭ | 415.305 Hz |
| 2 | Supertonic | B♭ | 466.164 Hz |
| 3 | Mediant | C | 261.626 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | D♭ | 277.183 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | E♭ | 311.127 Hz |
| 6 | Submediant | F | 349.228 Hz |
| ♭7 | Subtonic | G♭ | 369.994 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | A♭ | B♭ |
| 2 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | B♭ | C |
| 3 | Half Step (H) | 1 | C | D♭ |
| 4 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | D♭ | E♭ |
| 5 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | E♭ | F |
| 6 | Half Step (H) | 1 | F | G♭ |
| 7 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | G♭ | A♭ |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | A♭ | major |
| 2 | B♭ | B♭ minor | minor |
| 3 | C | C diminished | diminished |
| 4 | D♭ | D♭ | major |
| 5 | E♭ | E♭ minor | minor |
| 6 | F | F minor | minor |
| ♭7 | G♭ | G♭ | major |
Key Signature
4 ♭ — The A♭ key signature uses B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭.
A♭ Mixolydian Mode in Practice
The A♭ Mixolydian Mode uses the key signature of 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). Ab major has four flats and a full, somewhat dark sound. It is a common key in Romantic piano music and is frequently encountered in orchestral and choral writing. On guitar, A♭ positions offer comfortable transposing instrument keys for this scale.
The Mixolydian mode is like a major scale with a flat 7th, giving it a bluesy, rock quality. It appears in rock, blues, folk, and Celtic music and is essential for dominant chord improvisation.
Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments
Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.
| Note | Equal Temp. | Pythagorean | Just Intonation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | 415.305 Hz | 417.657 Hz | 418.601 Hz |
| B♭ | 466.164 Hz | 463.538 Hz | 470.926 Hz |
| C | 261.626 Hz | 260.740 Hz | 261.626 Hz |
| D♭ | 277.183 Hz | 278.437 Hz | 279.067 Hz |
| E♭ | 311.127 Hz | 309.026 Hz | 313.951 Hz |
| F | 349.228 Hz | 347.654 Hz | 348.834 Hz |
| G♭ | 369.994 Hz | 371.251 Hz | 367.911 Hz |
Related Scales
Transposing Instruments: A♭ Mixolydian Mode
A♭ is a natural key for B♭ instruments (trumpet, clarinet, tenor sax), which sound a major second lower than written. B♭ instruments reading in C produce A♭ concert pitch. E♭ instruments (alto sax, baritone sax) reading in A♭ sound a major sixth lower.