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E♭ hungarian gypsy scale on guitar
E♭ Hungarian Gypsy uses E♭, F, G♭, A, B♭, C♭, D♭. The raised 4th A gives this scale its characteristic bite.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, ♯4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the E♭ hungarian gypsy scale on guitar?
E♭ hungarian gypsy in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 15 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, 4 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3, 4 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 3 (G) | 2, 3, 4 | A, B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (B) | 2, 4 | D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 2 | F, G♭ |
Box 2 · frets 5–8
E♭ hungarian gypsy in box 2 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 14 notes across 6 strings, from A 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 | A, B♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 8 | E♭, F |
| 4 (D) | 7, 8 | A, B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 6, 7 | F, G♭ |
| 1 (e) | 5, 6, 7 | A, B♭, C♭ |
Box 3 · frets 7–10
E♭ hungarian gypsy in box 3 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 13 notes across 6 strings, from C♭ on the low E string at fret 7 up to D♭ on the high e string at fret 9. The root falls on the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 9 | C♭, D♭ |
| 5 (A) | 8, 9 | F, G♭ |
| 4 (D) | 7, 8, 9 | A, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (G) | 8, 10 | E♭, F |
| 2 (B) | 7, 10 | G♭, A |
| 1 (e) | 7, 9 | C♭, D♭ |
Box 4 · frets 9–12
E♭ hungarian gypsy in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 13 notes across 6 strings, from D♭ on the low E string at fret 9 up to E♭ on the high e string at fret 11. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9, 11 | D♭, E♭ |
| 5 (A) | 9, 12 | G♭, A |
| 4 (D) | 9, 11 | C♭, D♭ |
| 3 (G) | 10, 11 | F, G♭ |
| 2 (B) | 10, 11, 12 | A, B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (e) | 9, 11 | D♭, E♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
E♭ hungarian gypsy in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 16 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 | A, B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 11, 13 | D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 11, 14 | G♭, A |
| 2 (B) | 11, 12, 14 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ Hungarian Gypsy is E♭ natural minor with a raised 4th, A instead of A♭. The scale contains a tritone between E♭ and A, and no leading tone. Compare it with E♭ natural minor to hear the difference.
When to use it
E♭ Hungarian Gypsy fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. Use it over E♭ minor progressions for a Gypsy jazz or Eastern European feel. The ♯4 adds tension over E♭ 5th.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first; its roots on strings 5 and 2 anchor the low and high registers.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ Hungarian Gypsy?
E♭ Hungarian Gypsy contains E♭, F, G♭, A, B♭, C♭, and D♭. The scale has a ♯4 and ♭6. It is spelled 1, 2, ♭3, ♯4, 5, ♭6, ♭7. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does E♭ Hungarian Gypsy work over?
E♭ Hungarian Gypsy works over E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. The ♯4 adds a distinctive colour. Use it with E♭ minor progressions.
What is the difference between E♭ Hungarian Gypsy and E♭ natural minor?
E♭ Hungarian Gypsy raises the 4th degree from A♭ to A. E♭ natural minor uses A♭. This change creates the scale's characteristic augmented second between G♭ and A.