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E♭ gypsy major scale on guitar
E♭ gypsy major contains E♭, F♭, G, A♭, B♭, C♭, and D. Its Box 1 root on the 5th string, 6th fret is a smooth move from E phrygian dominant.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7
How do you play the E♭ gypsy major scale on guitar?
E♭ gypsy major in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 14 notes across 6 strings, from F♭ on the low E string at fret 0 up to G on the high e string at fret 3. The root falls on the D string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 3 | F♭, G |
| 5 (A) | 1, 2 | B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 0, 1, 2 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (G) | 0, 1, 3 | G, A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 0, 3 | C♭, D |
| 1 (e) | 0, 3 | F♭, G |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
E♭ gypsy major in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 15 notes across 6 strings, from G on the low E string at fret 3 up to B♭ on the high e string at fret 6. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the B string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3, 4, 6 | G, A♭, B♭ |
| 5 (A) | 5, 6 | D, E♭ |
| 4 (D) | 5, 6 | G, A♭ |
| 3 (G) | 3, 4 | B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (B) | 3, 4, 5 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (e) | 3, 4, 6 | G, A♭, B♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
E♭ gypsy major in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 14 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to C♭ on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 7 | E♭, F♭ |
| 4 (D) | 6, 8, 9 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (G) | 7, 8, 9 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (B) | 8, 9 | G, A♭ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
Box 4 · frets 11–14
E♭ gypsy major in box 4 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 14 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to F♭ on the high e string at fret 12. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11, the D string at fret 13 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 12 | E♭, F♭ |
| 5 (A) | 11, 13, 14 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 12, 13, 14 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (G) | 12, 13 | G, A♭ |
| 2 (B) | 11, 12 | B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 12 | E♭, F♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ gypsy major is E♭ phrygian dominant with the ♭7 raised to a major 7th. The scale keeps the ♭2, major 3rd, and ♭6, but the leading tone D replaces D♭. Compare it with E♭ phrygian dominant to hear the difference. The tritone between F♭ and B♭ and the augmented fifth from E♭ to C♭ give the scale its tension.
When to use it
E♭ gypsy major fits E♭ major and E♭ 5th chords, especially in metal and flamenco. The ♭2 and ♭6 also work over E♭ major progressions that borrow from phrygian. Use it for dramatic runs or cadences resolving to E♭.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first; its root on the 5th string, 6th fret anchors the pattern and covers frets 0–3 for easy access to the ♭2 and major 7th.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ gypsy major?
E♭ gypsy major uses E♭, F♭, G, A♭, B♭, C♭, and D. The scale has a minor 2nd, major 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, augmented 5th, and major 7th. It is also called Byzantine. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit E♭ gypsy major?
E♭ gypsy major works over E♭ major and E♭ 5th chords. The ♭2 and ♭6 create tension that resolves to the tonic. Try it over an E♭ drone for a Middle Eastern sound.
How does E♭ gypsy major differ from E♭ phrygian dominant?
E♭ gypsy major raises the ♭7 of E♭ phrygian dominant to a major 7th. This changes D♭ to D, creating a leading tone. The rest of the scale remains the same.