A Hungarian Gypsy uses A, B, C, D♯, E, F, G. Its ♯4 and ♭6 create a distinctive Eastern European sound.
A Hungarian Gypsy uses A, B, C, D♯, E, F, G. Its ♯4 and ♭6 create a distinctive Eastern European sound.
A Hungarian Gypsy is A natural minor with a raised 4th, D♯ instead of D. The scale contains a tritone between A and D♯, and no leading tone. Compare it with A natural minor to hear the difference.
A Hungarian Gypsy fits A minor and A 5th chords. Use it over A minor progressions for a Gypsy jazz or Eastern European feel. The ♯4 adds tension over A 5th.
Practise Box 1 first; its roots on strings 6, 3, and 1 anchor the low, middle, and high registers.
A hungarian gypsy in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 16 notes across 6 strings, from E on the low E string at fret 0 up to G on the high e string at fret 3. The root falls on the A string at fret 0 and the G string at fret 2.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 1, 3 | E, F, G |
| 5 (A) | 0, 2, 3 | A, B, C |
| 4 (D) | 1, 2, 3 | D♯, E, F |
| 3 (G) | 0, 2 | G, A |
| 2 (B) | 0, 1 | B, C |
| 1 (e) | 0, 1, 3 | E, F, G |
A hungarian gypsy in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 13 notes across 6 strings, from G on the low E string at fret 3 up to A on the high e string at fret 5. The root falls on the low E string at fret 5 and the high e string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3, 5 | G, A |
| 5 (A) | 3, 6 | C, D♯ |
| 4 (D) | 3, 5 | F, G |
| 3 (G) | 4, 5 | B, C |
| 2 (B) | 4, 5, 6 | D♯, E, F |
| 1 (e) | 3, 5 | G, A |
A hungarian gypsy in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 16 notes across 6 strings, from A on the low E string at fret 5 up to C on the high e string at fret 8. The root falls on the low E string at fret 5, the D string at fret 7 and the high e string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5, 7, 8 | A, B, C |
| 5 (A) | 6, 7, 8 | D♯, E, F |
| 4 (D) | 5, 7 | G, A |
| 3 (G) | 5, 8 | C, D♯ |
| 2 (B) | 5, 6, 8 | E, F, G |
| 1 (e) | 5, 7, 8 | A, B, C |
A hungarian gypsy in box 4 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 15 notes across 6 strings, from B on the low E string at fret 7 up to C on the high e string at fret 8. The root falls on the D string at fret 7 and the B string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 8 | B, C |
| 5 (A) | 7, 8, 10 | E, F, G |
| 4 (D) | 7, 9, 10 | A, B, C |
| 3 (G) | 8, 9, 10 | D♯, E, F |
| 2 (B) | 8, 10 | G, A |
| 1 (e) | 7, 8 | B, C |
A hungarian gypsy in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 14 notes across 6 strings, from D♯ on the low E string at fret 11 up to F on the high e string at fret 13. The root falls on the A string at fret 12 and the G string at fret 14.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 12, 13 | D♯, E, F |
| 5 (A) | 12, 14 | A, B |
| 4 (D) | 13, 14 | D♯, E |
| 3 (G) | 12, 14 | G, A |
| 2 (B) | 12, 13 | B, C |
| 1 (e) | 11, 12, 13 | D♯, E, F |
A hungarian gypsy, position 1 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 5 and runs from fret 0 to fret 5, three notes on each of 6 strings. The root falls on the A string at fret 0, the G string at fret 2 and the high e string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 1, 3 | E, F, G |
| 5 (A) | 0, 2, 3 | A, B, C |
| 4 (D) | 1, 2, 3 | D♯, E, F |
| 3 (G) | 0, 2, 4 | G, A, B |
| 2 (B) | 1, 4, 5 | C, D♯, E |
| 1 (e) | 1, 3, 5 | F, G, A |
A hungarian gypsy, position 2 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the ♭6 and runs from fret 1 to fret 7, three notes on each of 6 strings. The root falls on the low E string at fret 5, the G string at fret 2 and the high e string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1, 3, 5 | F, G, A |
| 5 (A) | 2, 3, 6 | B, C, D♯ |
| 4 (D) | 2, 3, 5 | E, F, G |
| 3 (G) | 2, 4, 5 | A, B, C |
| 2 (B) | 4, 5, 6 | D♯, E, F |
| 1 (e) | 3, 5, 7 | G, A, B |
A hungarian gypsy, position 3 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the ♭7 and runs from fret 3 to fret 8, three notes on each of 6 strings. The root falls on the low E string at fret 5, the D string at fret 7 and the high e string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3, 5, 7 | G, A, B |
| 5 (A) | 3, 6, 7 | C, D♯, E |
| 4 (D) | 3, 5, 7 | F, G, A |
| 3 (G) | 4, 5, 8 | B, C, D♯ |
| 2 (B) | 5, 6, 8 | E, F, G |
| 1 (e) | 5, 7, 8 | A, B, C |
A hungarian gypsy, position 4 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the root and runs from fret 5 to fret 11, three notes on each of 6 strings. The root falls on the low E string at fret 5, the D string at fret 7 and the B string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5, 7, 8 | A, B, C |
| 5 (A) | 6, 7, 8 | D♯, E, F |
| 4 (D) | 5, 7, 9 | G, A, B |
| 3 (G) | 5, 8, 9 | C, D♯, E |
| 2 (B) | 6, 8, 10 | F, G, A |
| 1 (e) | 7, 8, 11 | B, C, D♯ |
A hungarian gypsy, position 5 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the 2 and runs from fret 7 to fret 12, three notes on each of 6 strings. The root falls on the D string at fret 7 and the B string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 8, 11 | B, C, D♯ |
| 5 (A) | 7, 8, 10 | E, F, G |
| 4 (D) | 7, 9, 10 | A, B, C |
| 3 (G) | 8, 9, 10 | D♯, E, F |
| 2 (B) | 8, 10, 12 | G, A, B |
| 1 (e) | 8, 11, 12 | C, D♯, E |
A hungarian gypsy, position 6 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the ♭3 and runs from fret 8 to fret 13, three notes on each of 6 strings. The root falls on the A string at fret 12 and the B string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8, 11, 12 | C, D♯, E |
| 5 (A) | 8, 10, 12 | F, G, A |
| 4 (D) | 9, 10, 13 | B, C, D♯ |
| 3 (G) | 9, 10, 12 | E, F, G |
| 2 (B) | 10, 12, 13 | A, B, C |
| 1 (e) | 11, 12, 13 | D♯, E, F |
A hungarian gypsy, position 7 of the three-notes-per-string shapes, starts on the ♯4 and runs from fret 10 to fret 16, three notes on each of 6 strings. The root falls on the A string at fret 12 and the G string at fret 14.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 12, 13 | D♯, E, F |
| 5 (A) | 10, 12, 14 | G, A, B |
| 4 (D) | 10, 13, 14 | C, D♯, E |
| 3 (G) | 10, 12, 14 | F, G, A |
| 2 (B) | 12, 13, 16 | B, C, D♯ |
| 1 (e) | 12, 13, 15 | E, F, G |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
A Hungarian Gypsy contains A, B, C, D♯, E, F, and G. The scale has a ♯4 and ♭6. It is spelled 1, 2, ♭3, ♯4, 5, ♭6, ♭7.
A Hungarian Gypsy works over A minor and A 5th chords. The ♯4 adds a distinctive colour. Use it with A minor progressions.
A Hungarian Gypsy raises the 4th degree from D to D♯. A natural minor uses D natural. This change creates the scale's characteristic augmented second between C and D♯.