Also written Byzantine
C gypsy major uses C, D♭, E, F, G, A♭, B. Box 3 places the root at string 4, fret 8 for a higher position.
C gypsy major comes from C phrygian dominant by raising the seventh degree B♭ to B. This creates a leading tone and an augmented second between A♭ and B. See C phrygian dominant for the base scale. The formula is 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7.
C gypsy major fits over C major or C 5th chords. It is useful in jazz and fusion for its altered dominant sound. Try it over C major or C 5th progressions.
Start with Box 3: the root is on string 4, fret 8, and the pattern covers frets 8–11. It offers a comfortable mid-neck position and sets up Box 4.
C gypsy major in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 9 notes across 4 strings, from E on the E string at fret 0 up to A♭ on the G string at fret 1. The root falls on the A string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 1, 3 | E, F, G |
| 3 (A) | 2, 3 | B, C |
| 2 (D) | 2, 3 | E, F |
| 1 (G) | 0, 1 | G, A♭ |
C gypsy major in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 10 notes across 4 strings, from G on the E string at fret 3 up to D♭ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the A string at fret 3 and the G string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3, 4 | G, A♭ |
| 3 (A) | 3, 4 | C, D♭ |
| 2 (D) | 3, 5, 6 | F, G, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 5, 6 | B, C, D♭ |
C gypsy major in box 3 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 10 notes across 4 strings, from C on the E string at fret 8 up to F on the G string at fret 10. The root falls on the E string at fret 8 and the D string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8, 9 | C, D♭ |
| 3 (A) | 8, 10, 11 | F, G, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 9, 10, 11 | B, C, D♭ |
| 1 (G) | 9, 10 | E, F |
C gypsy major, position 1 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 4 and runs from fret 1 to fret 5, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the A string at fret 3 and the G string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 1, 3, 4 | F, G, A♭ |
| 3 (A) | 2, 3, 4 | B, C, D♭ |
| 2 (D) | 2, 3, 5 | E, F, G |
| 1 (G) | 1, 4, 5 | A♭, B, C |
C gypsy major, position 2 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 5 and runs from fret 3 to fret 7, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the A string at fret 3 and the G string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3, 4, 7 | G, A♭, B |
| 3 (A) | 3, 4, 7 | C, D♭, E |
| 2 (D) | 3, 5, 6 | F, G, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 5, 6 | B, C, D♭ |
C gypsy major, position 3 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the ♭6 and runs from fret 4 to fret 9, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the E string at fret 8 and the G string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 7, 8 | A♭, B, C |
| 3 (A) | 4, 7, 8 | D♭, E, F |
| 2 (D) | 5, 6, 9 | G, A♭, B |
| 1 (G) | 5, 6, 9 | C, D♭, E |
C gypsy major, position 4 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 7 and runs from fret 6 to fret 10, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the E string at fret 8 and the D string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 7, 8, 9 | B, C, D♭ |
| 3 (A) | 7, 8, 10 | E, F, G |
| 2 (D) | 6, 9, 10 | A♭, B, C |
| 1 (G) | 6, 9, 10 | D♭, E, F |
C gypsy major, position 5 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the root and runs from fret 8 to fret 12, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the E string at fret 8 and the D string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8, 9, 12 | C, D♭, E |
| 3 (A) | 8, 10, 11 | F, G, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 9, 10, 11 | B, C, D♭ |
| 1 (G) | 9, 10, 12 | E, F, G |
C gypsy major, position 6 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the ♭2 and runs from fret 9 to fret 14, three notes on each of 4 strings. The root falls on the D string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9, 12, 13 | D♭, E, F |
| 3 (A) | 10, 11, 14 | G, A♭, B |
| 2 (D) | 10, 11, 14 | C, D♭, E |
| 1 (G) | 10, 12, 13 | F, G, A♭ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
The notes are C, D♭, E, F, G, A♭, and B. It has a flat second, major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, flat sixth, and major seventh. The scale is also known as Byzantine.
The tonic chord is C major or C 5th. The fifth degree chord is G 7th flat 5. Use it over dominant sounds in C.
C gypsy major has a major seventh, B, while C phrygian dominant has a minor seventh, B♭. That change creates a leading tone and a different resolution. The remaining notes are the same.