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E♭ gypsy minor scale on guitar
E♭ gypsy minor uses E♭, F, G♭, B♭♭, B♭, C♭, D. Box 1 has the root on string 4, fret 1.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, ♭5, 5, ♭6, 7
How do you play the E♭ gypsy minor scale on guitar?
E♭ gypsy minor in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 14 notes across 6 strings, from F on the low E string at fret 1 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 2. The root falls on the D string at fret 1 and the B string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1, 2 | F, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 1, 2 | B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3, 4 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 3 (G) | 2, 3, 4 | B♭♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (B) | 3, 4 | D, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 2 | F, G♭ |
Box 2 · frets 5–8
E♭ gypsy minor in box 2 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 15 notes across 6 strings, from B♭♭ on the low E string at fret 5 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) | 5, 6, 7 | B♭♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 5, 6, 8 | D, E♭, F |
| 4 (D) | 7, 8 | B♭♭, B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 7, 8 | D, E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 6, 7 | F, G♭ |
| 1 (e) | 5, 6, 7 | B♭♭, B♭, C♭ |
Box 3 · frets 7–10
E♭ gypsy minor in box 3 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 14 notes across 6 strings, from C♭ on the low E string at fret 7 up to D on the high e string at fret 10. The root falls on the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 10 | C♭, D |
| 5 (A) | 8, 9 | F, G♭ |
| 4 (D) | 7, 8, 9 | B♭♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (G) | 7, 8, 10 | D, E♭, F |
| 2 (B) | 7, 10 | G♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (e) | 7, 10 | C♭, D |
Box 4 · frets 11–14
E♭ gypsy minor in box 4 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 15 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 14. 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, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 12, 13, 14 | B♭♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 12, 13 | D, E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 11, 14 | G♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (B) | 11, 12 | B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ gypsy minor is E♭ harmonic minor with the fourth degree raised: A♭ becomes B♭♭. The leap from G♭ to B♭♭ is 1½ steps. Compare with E♭ harmonic minor to hear the change.
When to use it
Use E♭ gypsy minor over E♭ minor or E♭ 5th chords. The ♭5 adds spice to E♭ minor and E♭ 5th. It suits Middle Eastern and flamenco styles.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. It places the root on string 4, fret 1 and covers frets 1–4, preparing for Box 2.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ gypsy minor?
E♭, F, G♭, B♭♭, B♭, C♭, D. The fourth degree is double-flattened. The seventh is major. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit E♭ gypsy minor?
E♭ minor and E♭ 5th are the tonic chords. The flat fifth adds tension. Use it in minor-key contexts.
How does E♭ gypsy minor differ from E♭ harmonic minor?
E♭ gypsy minor raises the fourth degree from A♭ to B♭♭. This creates a 1½-step gap between G♭ and B♭♭. The rest of the scale matches E♭ harmonic minor.