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A♭ gypsy minor scale on bass guitar
A♭ gypsy minor contains A♭, B♭, C♭, E♭♭, E♭, F♭, G. Its Box 1 root on string 4, fret 4 starts in the low register.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, ♭5, 5, ♭6, 7
How do you play the A♭ gypsy minor scale on bass?
A♭ gypsy minor in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 10 notes across 4 strings, from F♭ on the E string at fret 0 up to B♭ on the G string at fret 3. The root falls on the G string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 3 | F♭, G |
| 3 (A) | 1, 2 | B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (D) | 0, 1, 2 | E♭♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 0, 1, 3 | G, A♭, B♭ |
Box 2 · frets 4–7
A♭ gypsy minor 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 E♭♭ on the G string at fret 7. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (A) | 5, 6, 7 | E♭♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 5, 6 | G, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 7 | C♭, E♭♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
A♭ gypsy minor in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 10 notes across 4 strings, from B♭ on the E string at fret 6 up to F♭ on the G string at fret 9. The root falls on the D string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (A) | 6, 7 | E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 6, 8, 9 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (G) | 7, 8, 9 | E♭♭, E♭, F♭ |
Box 4 · frets 10–13
A♭ gypsy minor in box 4 runs from fret 10 to fret 13, 10 notes across 4 strings, from E♭♭ on the E string at fret 10 up to A♭ on the G string at fret 13. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 10, 11, 12 | E♭♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (A) | 10, 11, 13 | G, A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (D) | 12, 13 | E♭♭, E♭ |
| 1 (G) | 12, 13 | G, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ gypsy minor raises the fourth of A♭ harmonic minor to E♭♭, creating a ♭5 and an augmented second between C♭ and E♭♭. The major seventh G remains for a strong leading tone. Compare it with A♭ harmonic minor to hear the altered fourth.
When to use it
Use A♭ gypsy minor over A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords for a dark, exotic color. The ♭5 E♭♭ works over B♭ 7th flat 5, and the major seventh G fits B augmented. It suits Eastern European and Middle Eastern styles.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first: the root sits on string 4, fret 4, covering frets 0–3 and setting up Box 2.
Common questions
What notes are in A♭ gypsy minor?
The notes are A♭, B♭, C♭, E♭♭, E♭, F♭, G. It has a ♭3, ♭5, and major 7. The ♭5 creates an augmented second with the ♭3. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit A♭ gypsy minor?
A♭ minor and A♭ 5th are the tonic chords. B♭ 7th flat 5 uses the ♭5, and B augmented uses the ♭3 and ♯5. The major 7 G fits G major and G minor.
How does A♭ gypsy minor differ from A♭ harmonic minor?
A♭ gypsy minor raises the fourth degree to E♭♭. This creates a ♭5 and an augmented second between C♭ and E♭♭. The rest of the scale matches A♭ harmonic minor.