A Aeolian scale on bass
A Aeolian has 7 notes: A B C D E F G. Degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Formula: W H W W H W W.
What notes are in the A Aeolian scale?
A, B, C, D, E, F and G. It has 7 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is W H W W H W W.
What does A Aeolian sound like, and when do you use it?
Melancholic and epic: the "pure" minor, with no leading tone. Use it over m7 · the vi of a major key, i–♭VII–♭VI progressions.
To hear it: All Along the Watchtower — Bob Dylan / Jimi Hendrix.
Chords in A Aeolian
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Am7 |
| ii° | B° | Bm7♭5 |
| ♭III | C | Cmaj7 |
| iv | Dm | Dm7 |
| v | Em | Em7 |
| ♭VI | F | Fmaj7 |
| ♭VII | G | G7 |
Chord progressions to improvise with A Aeolian
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the fretboard lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in A:
- Epic (i7–♭VImaj7–♭VII7): Am7 | Fmaj7 | G7 | Am7. The ♭VI brings out the ♭6 (F): the note that separates Aeolian from Dorian.
- Minor rock (i–♭VII–♭VI): Am | G | F | G. i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII, like “All Along the Watchtower”. Short, rhythmic riffs.
- i–iv (i7–iv7): Am7 | Am7 | Dm7 | Dm7. Two minor chords, two bars each. Over the iv, the F is the chord's 3rd.
A Aeolian positions on bass
In standard tuning (E A D G), with 3 notes per string, A Aeolian is played in 7 positions along the neck:
- Position 1: frets 5 to 9 (starts on the root)
- Position 2: frets 7 to 10
- Position 3: frets 8 to 12
- Position 4: frets 10 to 14
- Position 5: frets 0 to 4
- Position 6: frets 1 to 5
- Position 7: frets 3 to 7
Same notes as
C major · A natural minor · C Ionian · D Dorian · E Phrygian · F Lydian · G Mixolydian · B Locrian