F Aeolian

Melancholic, natural minor — built from A♭ major

PARENT FAMILY · A♭ MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	A♭ Ionian	A♭maj7 – B♭m7 – Cm7 – D♭maj7 – E♭7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	B♭ Dorian	B♭m7 – Cm7 – D♭maj7 – E♭7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – A♭maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	C Phrygian	Cm7 – C♯maj7 – D♯7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – G♯maj7 – A♯m7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	D♭ Lydian	D♭maj7 – E♭7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – A♭maj7 – B♭m7 – Cm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	E♭ Mixolydian	E♭7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – A♭maj7 – B♭m7 – Cm7 – D♭maj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	F Aeolian	Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – A♭maj7 – B♭m7 – Cm7 – D♭maj7 – E♭7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	G Locrian	Gm7♭5 – G♯maj7 – A♯m7 – Cm7 – C♯maj7 – D♯7 – Fm7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Fm7

II

Gm7♭5

III

A♭maj7

IV

B♭m7

V

Cm7

VI

D♭maj7

VII

E♭7

▸ Play F Aeolian over Fm7 and E♭7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · MELANCHOLIC, NATURAL MINOR

MELANCHOLIC, NATURAL MINOR

F Aeolian is a minor mode with a melancholic, natural minor character. It is the VI mode of A♭ major — it uses the same 7 notes as A♭ Ionian but is rooted on F, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Fm7.

Where to use F 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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