A-flat minor
A-flat minor is a minor scale based on the note A♭, consisting of the pitches A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, and G♭.[1] Its key signature has seven flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, and F♭.[1] The relative major of A-flat minor is C-flat major, enharmonically equivalent to B major, while its parallel major is A-flat major.[1][2] A-flat minor is enharmonically equivalent to G-sharp minor, which uses five sharps.[2] This key is uncommon in Western classical music due to its seven-flat signature, which complicates notation, though it aligns better with flat-based orchestral instruments than its sharp-key enharmonic. It is often associated with somber or mournful moods.Scale and Key Signature
The A-flat minor scale
The natural A-flat minor scale follows the standard pattern for minor scales, consisting of seven whole and half steps arranged as whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-whole (W-H-W-W-H-W-W).[3] This pattern defines the scale's structure, starting from the tonic note A♭ and ascending diatonically within the key.[4] The pitches of the A-flat natural minor scale are A♭ (1), B♭ (2), C♭ (♭3), D♭ (4), E♭ (5), F♭ (♭6), G♭ (♭7), and the octave A♭ (8).[1] From the tonic A♭, the intervals are a major second to B♭, a minor third to C♭, a perfect fourth to D♭, a perfect fifth to E♭, a minor sixth to F♭, and a minor seventh to G♭.[1] These intervals create the characteristic minor tonality, with the lowered third degree distinguishing it from the parallel major scale. Two common variants alter this natural form for melodic or harmonic purposes. The harmonic minor scale raises the seventh degree from G♭ to G♮, resulting in the notes A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G, and A♭, to provide a stronger leading tone.[4] The melodic minor scale raises both the sixth and seventh degrees ascending (to F and G), yielding A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭, but reverts to the natural form descending.[1] On a piano keyboard, the A-flat natural minor scale spans from A♭ (the first black key in the second octave) through the subsequent white and black keys following the W-H-W-W-H-W-W pattern, emphasizing the enharmonic equivalents like C♭ (B) and F♭ (E). In staff notation, it ascends with ledger lines below the bass clef for the lower octave, using flats for B♭, D♭, E♭, G♭, and double flats for C♭ and F♭ to maintain the key's diatonic integrity.[1]Key signature
The key signature of A-flat minor consists of seven flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, and F♭. These accidentals indicate that all instances of B, E, A, D, G, C, and F in the music are to be lowered by a half step unless otherwise specified by additional accidentals. The notes of the A-flat minor scale—A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭—are directly derived from applying these flats to the natural notes.[5][6] The flats are added in a fixed order: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭. Each flat is placed in the position on the staff corresponding to that note. For example, in treble clef, B♭ is placed on the middle line, E♭ in the top space, A♭ in the second space from the bottom, D♭ on the fourth line, G♭ on the second line, C♭ in the third space, and F♭ in the bottom space. This sequence follows the standard order for all flat key signatures and can be memorized using the mnemonic "Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father." The signature is placed immediately after the clef symbol and applies uniformly to both treble and bass clefs, affecting the reading of notes across the entire staff.[7][8] In practice, the seven-flat signature of A-flat minor has implications for transposing instruments; for example, a B♭ clarinet reading in this key will sound a major second lower in concert pitch. For guitarists, a capo at the first fret allows A-flat minor to be played as G-sharp minor, which uses an enharmonically equivalent key signature of five sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯), simplifying notation for sharp-preferring systems. Historically, the prevalence of flat keys like A-flat minor evolved from modal practices in the Renaissance to the tonal system of the Baroque era, with the widespread adoption of equal temperament in the 18th century favoring flats for natural horns constructed in keys such as F or E♭ to better exploit their overtone series without excessive hand-stopping.[9][10][11]Key Relationships
Parallel major
The parallel major of A-flat minor is A-flat major, defined as the major and minor keys that share the same tonic note, in this case A♭, while differing in mode and specific scale degrees.[12] The A-flat major scale consists of the notes A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G, and A♭, following the standard major scale pattern of whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half steps.[13] Although parallel keys share the same tonic, their key signatures differ: A-flat major uses four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭), while A-flat minor employs seven flats by lowering the third, sixth, and seventh degrees relative to the major scale.[14] The primary structural differences between the scales lie in the third and sixth degrees, where A-flat major features a major third (C) and major sixth (F), creating a brighter tonal quality compared to the minor third (C♭) and minor sixth (F♭) in A-flat minor.[12] Modulations between parallel keys, such as from A-flat minor to A-flat major, are common in compositions to provide emotional contrast, often achieved through devices like the Picardy third, where a minor piece concludes on the major tonic chord for a surprising resolution.[15]Relative major
The relative major of a minor key is the major key that shares the same key signature and begins on the third degree of the minor scale.[14] For A-flat minor, this is C-flat major, which starts on the mediant (C♭) and uses the identical pitches without altering the tonic.[16] This relationship allows for smooth tonal connections, as the two keys contain the same notes but emphasize different tonics. The C-flat major scale consists of the pitches C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, and C♭, following the major scale pattern of whole and half steps (W-W-H-W-W-W-H).[7] It shares the seven-flat key signature of A-flat minor (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭), making the scales enharmonically identical in pitch content but distinct in mode and starting note.[17] In the circle of fifths, both A-flat minor and C-flat major occupy the position seven fifths counterclockwise from C major, representing the key with seven flats.[17] This placement highlights their close relationship, as relative keys are typically aligned radially in the circle, with the minor key's tonic a minor third below the major's.[14] C-flat major is rarely notated in its theoretical form due to the awkwardness of seven flats, including double flats like F♭ (enharmonic to E natural); it is often rewritten enharmonically as B major, which uses five sharps for greater practicality in performance and composition.[7] Modulation between A-flat minor and its relative major, C-flat major, is common in classical music because the shared pitches enable seamless transitions without introducing new accidentals, often occurring via pivot chords or common tones in forms like sonata-allegro.[16] In the Baroque and Classical eras, composers frequently shifted to the relative major from a minor tonic to provide contrast and resolution, leveraging the identical key signature for structural fluency.[18]Enharmonic equivalent
A-flat minor is enharmonically equivalent to G-sharp minor, meaning both keys consist of the same set of pitches but are notated differently.[2][19] The G-sharp minor scale uses the notes G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, and G♯ for its natural form, with a key signature of five sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯).[19] In contrast, A-flat minor employs seven flats in its key signature (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭), resulting in the notes A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, and G♭.[2][19] This difference in accidentals—five sharps versus seven flats—arises because enharmonic keys total twelve accidentals when combining their signatures, reflecting the full chromatic scale.[2] Notational preferences for A-flat minor or G-sharp minor often depend on the musical context and performing forces. Flat notation, as in A-flat minor, is generally favored for wind instruments, which align more readily with descending adjustments to produce flat notes, and in lower registers where readability aids precision.[20] Conversely, sharp notation in G-sharp minor suits string instruments better, as their technique involves shortening strings to sharpen pitches, and it may be preferred for higher vocal ranges or string-dominated ensembles.[20] In the 19th century, composers like Franz Liszt exploited enharmonic equivalences for notational convenience and expressive color. For instance, Liszt's La campanella (Grandes études de Paganini, No. 3, S. 141) is notated in G-sharp minor rather than A-flat minor in its 1851 publication, likely to minimize accidentals while evoking a specific tonal character through the sharp-key idiom.[21]Harmony
Scale degree chords
The diatonic triads in A-flat minor are constructed by stacking thirds using only the pitches of the natural minor scale: A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭. These triads follow the standard qualities for the natural minor mode, where the tonic (i), subdominant (iv), and dominant (v) are minor triads; the mediant (III), submediant (VI), and subtonic (VII) are major triads; and the supertonic (ii°) is diminished.[22] The following table lists the diatonic triads with their Roman numeral notation, chord symbols, and constituent notes in root position:| Roman Numeral | Chord Symbol | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | A♭m | A♭–C♭–E♭ |
| ii° | B♭° | B♭–D♭–F♭ |
| III | C♭ | C♭–E♭–G♭ |
| iv | D♭m | D♭–F♭–A♭ |
| v | E♭m | E♭–G♭–B♭ |
| VI | F♭ | F♭–A♭–C♭ |
| VII | G♭ | G♭–B♭–D♭ |
| Roman Numeral | Chord Symbol | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i7 | A♭m7 | A♭–C♭–E♭–G♭ |
| iiø7 | B♭ø7 | B♭–D♭–F♭–A♭ |
| III7 | C♭maj7 | C♭–E♭–G♭–B♭ |
| iv7 | D♭m7 | D♭–F♭–A♭–C♭ |
| v7 | E♭m7 | E♭–G♭–B♭–D♭ |
| VI7 | F♭maj7 | F♭–A♭–C♭–E♭ |
| VII7 | G♭7 | G♭–B♭–D♭–F♭ |