A♭ Persian Scale
Notes in the A♭ Persian Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | A♭ | 415.305 Hz |
| ♭2 | Phrygian 2nd | A | 440.000 Hz |
| 3 | Major Mediant | C | 261.626 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | D♭ | 277.183 Hz |
| ♭5 | Tritone | D | 293.665 Hz |
| ♭6 | Minor Submediant | F♭ | 329.628 Hz |
| 7 | Leading Tone | G | 391.995 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Half Step (H) | 1 | A♭ | A |
| 2 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | A | C |
| 3 | Half Step (H) | 1 | C | D♭ |
| 4 | Half Step (H) | 1 | D♭ | D |
| 5 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | D | F♭ |
| 6 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | F♭ | G |
| 7 | Half Step (H) | 1 | G | A♭ |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | A♭ (complex) | other |
| ♭2 | A | A | major |
| 3 | C | C (complex) | other |
| 4 | D♭ | D♭ minor | minor |
| ♭5 | D | D (complex) | other |
| ♭6 | F♭ | F♭ augmented | augmented |
| 7 | G | G (complex) | other |
Key Signature
4 ♭ — The A♭ key signature uses B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭.
A♭ Persian Scale in Practice
The A♭ Persian Scale 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 Persian scale has a distinct Middle Eastern character with its flat 2nd and 5th degrees combined with a natural major 3rd and leading tone. It evokes the musical traditions of ancient Persian culture.
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 |
| A | 440.000 Hz | 440.000 Hz | 436.043 Hz |
| C | 261.626 Hz | 260.740 Hz | 261.626 Hz |
| D♭ | 277.183 Hz | 278.437 Hz | 279.067 Hz |
| D | 293.665 Hz | 293.332 Hz | 294.329 Hz |
| F♭ | 329.628 Hz | 330.001 Hz | 327.032 Hz |
| G | 391.995 Hz | 391.111 Hz | 392.438 Hz |
Related Scales
Transposing Instruments: A♭ Persian Scale
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.