A♯ Aeolian

Melancholic, natural minor — built from C♯ major

PARENT FAMILY · C♯ MAJ

All 7 modes share the same parent scale (C♯ major). A♯ Aeolian is the VI mode.

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	C♯ Ionian	C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	D♯ Dorian	D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	F Phrygian	Fm7 – G♭maj7 – A♭7 – B♭m7 – Cm7♭5 – D♭maj7 – E♭m7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	F♯ Lydian	F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	G♯ Mixolydian	G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	A♯ Aeolian	A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	C Locrian	Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

A♯ C C♯ D♯ F F♯ G♯

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

The Aeolian scale on A♯ contains the notes A♯, C, C♯, D♯, F, F♯, G♯. The pentatonic subset is A♯, C♯, D♯, F, G♯.

Characteristic note: the ♭6 (flat sixth) deepens its melancholic minor character.

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

A♯m7

II

Cm7♭5

III

C♯maj7

IV

D♯m7

V

Fm7

VI

F♯maj7

VII

G♯7

▸ Play A♯ Aeolian over A♯m7 and G♯7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · MELANCHOLIC, NATURAL MINOR

MELANCHOLIC, NATURAL MINOR

A♯ Aeolian is a minor mode with a melancholic, natural minor character. It is the VI mode of C♯ major — it uses the same 7 notes as C♯ Ionian but is rooted on A♯, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is A♯m7.

Where to use A♯ Aeolian

Rock, pop, classical, metal.

Famous examples

Stairway to Heaven
Hotel California
Sultans of Swing

What makes it distinctive: the ♭6 (flat sixth) deepens its melancholic minor character.

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