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A♭ hungarian gypsy scale on ukulele
A♭ Hungarian Gypsy uses A♭, B♭, C♭, D, E♭, F♭, G♭. The ♯4 D sits on the 1st fret of string 4 in Box 1.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, ♯4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the A♭ hungarian gypsy scale on ukulele?
A♭ hungarian gypsy in box 1 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 9 notes across 4 strings, from D on the C string at fret 2 up to D on the A string at fret 5. The root falls on the E string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3, 4 | B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (C) | 2, 3, 4 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (E) | 2, 4 | G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (A) | 2, 5 | C♭, D |
Box 2 · frets 4–7
A♭ hungarian gypsy in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 10 notes across 4 strings, from F♭ on the C string at fret 4 up to F♭ on the A string at fret 7. The root falls on the E string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4, 7 | C♭, D |
| 3 (C) | 4, 6 | F♭, G♭ |
| 2 (E) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (A) | 5, 6, 7 | D, E♭, F♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
A♭ hungarian gypsy in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 10 notes across 4 strings, from G♭ on the C string at fret 6 up to G♭ on the A string at fret 9. The root falls on the C string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7, 8, 9 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (C) | 6, 8 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (E) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (A) | 6, 7, 9 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
A♭ hungarian gypsy in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the C string at fret 8 up to A♭ on the A string at fret 11. The root falls on the C string at fret 8 and the A string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8, 9, 11 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (C) | 8, 10, 11 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (E) | 10, 11 | D, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 9, 11 | G♭, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ Hungarian Gypsy raises the 4th of A♭ natural minor to D, creating a diminished 5th from A♭ and a minor 2nd from E♭. The scale keeps the minor 3rd C♭ and minor 7th G♭, so it retains a dark minor quality. This alteration adds a tritone between A♭ and D and between B♭ and F♭. Compare it with A♭ natural minor.
When to use it
A♭ Hungarian Gypsy fits A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords. The ♯4 D works over B♭ 7th flat 5 and B♭ 7th sharp 5. Use it for dark folk or Eastern European lines in A♭ minor. Try it over A♭ minor and B♭ 7th flat 5.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. It keeps the root A♭ on string 4, fret 1 and covers frets 2–5.
Common questions
What notes are in A♭ Hungarian Gypsy?
A♭ Hungarian Gypsy contains A♭, B♭, C♭, D, E♭, F♭, G♭. The scale has a minor 3rd and a raised 4th. It is a seven-note scale. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does A♭ Hungarian Gypsy fit?
A♭ Hungarian Gypsy fits A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords. The ♯4 D also works over B♭ 7th flat 5 and B♭ 7th sharp 5. Use it over minor progressions with a raised 4th.
Is A♭ Hungarian Gypsy the same as A♭ natural minor?
A♭ Hungarian Gypsy raises the 4th of A♭ natural minor from D♭ to D. The other notes are the same. This creates a tritone between A♭ and D.