Ab Ionian (major)
A diatonic mode with a major 3rd and major 7th; a stable major sound.
Octaves
Musical context
How the mode relates to the scale, chord, key and progression.
Theory
General info
- Name
- Ab Ionian (major)
- Family
- Diatonic modes
- Note count
- 7
- Step formula
- W – W – H – W – W – W – H
Notes & degrees
1Abroot
2Bbmajor 2nd
3Cmajor 3rd
4Dbperfect 4th
5Ebperfect 5th
6Fmajor 6th
7Gmajor 7th
Construction
- Overview
- A diatonic mode with a major 3rd and major 7th; a stable major sound.
- Application in music
- Identical to the natural major scale and forms the modal basis of a major key.
- Interval formula
- AbWBbWCHDbWEbWFWG
- Reference mode
- Ab Ionian
Ab Ionian (major) coincides with the Ab Ionian mode — it is the reference itself.
How the mode is built
- Position in the system
- Degree 1 of the parent major scale
- Parent scale
- The Ionian mode is itself the major scale
Sibling modes
Chords by degree
Tensions & resolutions
Stable degrees
IAbpoint of resttonic
IIICdefines modal qualitythird
VEbsupports the tonic sonorityfifth
Typical resolutions & tensions
VIIGG
IAbAb
In typical voice leading, the leading tone rises by semitone to tonic.
IIICC
IVDbDb
In a dominant context, scale degree 4 normally descends by step to 3.
IAbAb
IIBbBb
Scale degree 2 may descend to tonic; the motion is especially close when degree 2 is lowered.
This mode on guitar 🎸
See how Ab Ionian (major) looks on guitar.
Circle of fifths
The major key on the same tonic and its neighbouring keys on the circle of fifths.
Connections
Practice
Keyboard Trainer
Reinforce it in practice — play and name notes on the interactive keyboard.