Guitar Theory Studio
Scale

Ab Augmented Scale

The Ab augmented scale (also written G#) — Ab B C Eb E G — with its intervals, the chords it fits and every position on the guitar neck.

Also written G# augmented. G# and Ab are the same pitch — Ab is the spelling in common use.

Ab Augmented Scale on the guitar fretboard13578910121415eBGDAEEGAbBCEbEGBCEbEGAbBCGAbBCEbEGAbEbEGAbBCEbEBCEbEGAbBCEGAbBCEbEG

Tap any note on the neck.

Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.

Notes
Ab   B   C   Eb   E   G
Intervals
1   #2   3   5   #5   7
Step pattern
W+H – H – W+H – H – W+H – H
Played over
Abaug   Abmaj7#5
Shape repeats every
4 frets
Open this in the fretboard tool →

Ab augmented scale notes and intervals

Ab augmented has 6 notes. Each is named by its distance from the root, which is the same in every key — learn the numbers once and every augmented scale reads the same.

Ab
1
root
B
#2
C
3
major 3rd
Eb
5
perfect 5th
E
#5
augmented 5th
G
7
major 7th

Step pattern from the root: W+H – H – W+H – H – W+H – H (W is a whole step, two frets; H is a half step, one fret; W+H is three frets).

Scales it shares notes with:

Ab augmented scale positions on guitar — all 6

Ab augmented fits in a five-fret box, three notes or two on each string. Its steps alternate three frets and one, so the six positions are two shapes: positions 1, 3 and 5 are one, 2, 4 and 6 the other, and moving either one four frets up or down gives the same six notes again. Together they cover frets 0 to 15.

Position 1 — frets 4–8

Ab augmented scale, position 1, frets 4–83456789AbBCEbEGAbBCEbEGAbBC

Position 2 — frets 7–11

Ab augmented scale, position 2, frets 7–116789101112BCEbEGAbBCEbEGAbBCEb

Position 3 — frets 8–12

Ab augmented scale, position 3, frets 8–1278910111213CEbEGAbBCEbEGAbBCEbE

Position 4 — frets 11–15

Ab augmented scale, position 4, frets 11–1510111213141516EbEGAbBCEbEGAbBCEbEG

Position 5 — frets 0–4

Ab augmented scale, position 5, frets 0–4012345EGAbBCEbEGAbBCEbEGAb

Position 6 — frets 3–7

Ab augmented scale, position 6, frets 3–72345678GAbBCEbEGAbBCEbEGAbB

Chords to play Ab augmented over

Ab augmented is the scale for the augmented chord Abaug (Ab C E) and for Abmaj7#5 (Ab C E G), a major 7th with a raised 5th. It is two augmented triads woven together, Abaug and Ebaug (Eb G B), and its steps alternate three frets and one.

Play the Abaug arpeggio inside the scale → The Practice Loop keeps only the chord’s notes in each position, so you hear what the rest of the scale is decorating.

How to practice the Ab augmented scale

  1. Start with position 5 at frets 0–4, slowly, until every note lands on the click. The loop keeps the shape and the tempo for you.
  2. Slide the shape: position 1 is the same fingering 4 frets higher, and the same notes. Play one, then the other, and the move is the scale.
  3. Climb 3 notes at a time, two notes up each time: each group starts a major third above the last, the same step the scale repeats by.
  4. Switch the same position to the Abaug arpeggio, the chord’s notes alone, then back to the scale.
  5. See every Ab augmented note across the whole neck on the Fretboard, and find each box again an octave up.

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