Also written Byzantine
A♭ gypsy major uses A♭, B♭♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, G. Box 2 places the root at string 4, fret 4 for a mid-neck position.
A♭ gypsy major is formed from A♭ phrygian dominant by raising the seventh degree G♭ to G. This introduces a leading tone and an augmented second between F♭ and G. See A♭ phrygian dominant for the base scale. The formula is 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7.
A♭ gypsy major fits over A♭ major or A♭ 5th chords. It suits aggressive styles like metal and progressive rock. Use it with A♭ major or A♭ 5th for a dark, exotic sound.
Start with Box 2: the root is on string 4, fret 4, and the pattern covers frets 4–7. It offers a comfortable mid-neck position and sets up Box 3.
A♭ gypsy major in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 9 notes across 4 strings, from F♭ on the E string at fret 0 up to B♭♭ on the G string at fret 2. The root falls on the G string at fret 1.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 3 | F♭, G |
| 3 (A) | 0, 3 | B♭♭, C |
| 2 (D) | 1, 2 | E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 0, 1, 2 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
A♭ gypsy major in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to D♭ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 5 | A♭, B♭♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 6, 7 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 5, 6, 7 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (G) | 5, 6 | C, D♭ |
A♭ gypsy major in box 3 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 9 notes across 4 strings, from C on the E string at fret 8 up to F♭ on the G string at fret 9. The root falls on the A string at fret 11.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8, 9, 11 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (A) | 10, 11 | G, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 10, 11 | C, D♭ |
| 1 (G) | 8, 9 | E♭, F♭ |
A♭ gypsy major in box 4 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 10 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the E string at fret 11 up to B♭♭ on the G string at fret 14. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 12 | E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (A) | 11, 12 | A♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13, 14 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 12, 13, 14 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
A♭ gypsy major, position 1 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the ♭6 and runs from fret 0 to fret 5, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the G string at fret 1.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 3, 4 | F♭, G, A♭ |
| 3 (A) | 0, 3, 4 | B♭♭, C, D♭ |
| 2 (D) | 1, 2, 5 | E♭, F♭, G |
| 1 (G) | 1, 2, 5 | A♭, B♭♭, C |
A♭ gypsy major, position 2 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 7 and runs from fret 2 to fret 6, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3, 4, 5 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 3 (A) | 3, 4, 6 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (D) | 2, 5, 6 | F♭, G, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 2, 5, 6 | B♭♭, C, D♭ |
A♭ gypsy major, position 3 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the root and runs from fret 4 to fret 8, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 5, 8 | A♭, B♭♭, C |
| 3 (A) | 4, 6, 7 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 5, 6, 7 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (G) | 5, 6, 8 | C, D♭, E♭ |
A♭ gypsy major, position 4 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the ♭2 and runs from fret 5 to fret 10, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the D string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 5, 8, 9 | B♭♭, C, D♭ |
| 3 (A) | 6, 7, 10 | E♭, F♭, G |
| 2 (D) | 6, 7, 10 | A♭, B♭♭, C |
| 1 (G) | 6, 8, 9 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
A♭ gypsy major, position 5 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 3 and runs from fret 7 to fret 12, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the A string at fret 11.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8, 9, 11 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (A) | 7, 10, 11 | F♭, G, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 7, 10, 11 | B♭♭, C, D♭ |
| 1 (G) | 8, 9, 12 | E♭, F♭, G |
A♭ gypsy major, position 6 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 4 and runs from fret 9 to fret 13, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9, 11, 12 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (A) | 10, 11, 12 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (D) | 10, 11, 13 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (G) | 9, 12, 13 | F♭, G, A♭ |
A♭ gypsy major, position 7 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 5 and runs from fret 11 to fret 15, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 12, 15 | E♭, F♭, G |
| 3 (A) | 11, 12, 15 | A♭, B♭♭, C |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13, 14 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 12, 13, 14 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
The notes are A♭, B♭♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, and G. It has a flat second, major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, flat sixth, and major seventh. The scale is also known as Byzantine. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
The tonic chord is A♭ major or A♭ 5th. The fifth degree chord is E♭ 7th flat 5. Use it over dominant sounds in A♭.
A♭ gypsy major has a major seventh, G, while A♭ phrygian dominant has a minor seventh, G♭. That single change gives a stronger pull to the tonic. The rest of the notes are identical.