How to Play the A-flat minor Scale on the Piano - Scales, Chords & Exercises

The Notes of the A-flat minor Scale

The A-flat minor scale starts on A-flat and includes every conceivable flat note - i.e. the pitches Ab-Bb-Cb-Db-Eb-Fb-Gb-Ab. On the piano, you must play all the black keys and two white ones, "E" and "B". Its more popular enharmonic "twin" scale is G-sharp minor.

How to Play the A-flat minor Scale With the Right Hand (Treble Clef)

On the piano, you can play the A-flat minor scale going up (toward the higher notes) or coming down. In the treble clef, do this:

• Play the following notes going up: Ab-Bb-Cb-Db-Eb-Fb-Gb-Ab. Start playing Ab with your second finger, and Bb with your third, then tuck your thumb to play the Cb (which is, incidentally, the key known as "B" in normal life). Continue with fingers two and three up to the Eb, and play the Fb (the piano key otherwise known as "E") with your thumb. Play the next two notes, Gb and the final Ab, with your second and third fingers.
• Play the following notes going down: Ab-Gb-Fb-Eb-Db-Cb-Bb-Ab. Reverse exactly what you did coming up: Start playing with your third finger on Ab, and after you've played the Fb with your first finger, tuck your third finger over to play the Eb. Continue down until you reach the Cb, and tuck your third finger again to play the Bb, and finish with Ab, played by the second finger.

How to Play the A-flat minor Scale With the Left Hand (Bass Clef)

Piano beginners may find it difficult to read and play the left hand. It is worth investing some time to really familiarize yourself with the notes of the A-flat minor scale in the bass clef, and learn how to read them in music scores.

The notes are the same as in the right hand (Ab-Bb-Cb-Db-Eb-Fb-Gb-Ab), but they look different:

Play it this way:

• Going up: Starting with your third finger on Ab, play up to the Cb (the B-key) which you will reach with your first finger. Then tuck your third finger over to play the Db, and play up to the Fb (the E-key), then tuck the third finger over again - you know the drill - to reach the Gb. Play the Ab with your second finger.
• Coming down: Play the whole thing in reverse. Start with your second finger on Ab, then play the Gb with your third finger. Then tuck your thumb under to reach the Fb. Play down with your second and third finger, then tuck your thumb again after you have reached the Cb. You'll end the scale with the third finger on Ab.

The A-flat minor Key Signature

The key signature, located at the beginning of each line of a piece, lets you see which notes will be raised (#) or lowered (b) consistently throughout that piece.

If you spot this key signature below, the piece is likely in A-flat minor (its parallel Major would be C-flat-Major, but that scale is hardly ever in use as it is enharmonically identical with the much more frequent B-Major):

6 Exercises to Practice the A-flat minor Scale

Play one exercise after the other and only move on after having correctly played the previous exercise 5 times on your piano:

1. Play the left hand up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing speed
2. Play the right hand up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing speed
3. Play both hands up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing speed
4. Play the left hand up starting from the lowest Ab to the highest, and down starting from the highest Ab to the lowest
5. Play the right hand up starting from the lowest Ab to the highest, and down starting from the highest Ab to the lowest
6. Play both hands up starting with the left hand on the lowest Ab and stopping when the right hand reaches the highest Ab, then play down to the starting position

Why you should exercise scales in general:

• To memorize a scale
• To practice dexterity and intonation (play all keys with even loudness. Beginners often play the notes they work with their stronger fingers much harder. Aim for an even tone)
• To be able to play the scale in time without hesitating to find your fingerings
• To be able to build chords and improvise

A-flat minor Chords on the Piano

Any minor chord is constructed of three or more notes: The root note - the minor third - the perfect fifth.

In short, this tells us about A-flat minor:

• The basic A-flat minor chord consists of Ab-Cb-Eb.
• The first inversion is Cb-Eb-Ab.
• The second inversion is Eb-Ab-Cb.

To practice the A-flat minor chord and inversions, switch from the chord starting with the root note to the first, and the second inversion, starting slowly using a metronome, then increasing your tempo.