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A♭ hungarian major scale on ukulele
A♭ Hungarian major uses A♭, C♭, C, E♭♭, E♭, F, G♭. Box 1 roots are on string 4, fret 1 and string 2, fret 4.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 3, ♭5, 5, 6, ♭7
How do you play the A♭ hungarian major scale on ukulele?
A♭ hungarian major in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 8 notes across 4 strings, from C on the C string at fret 0 up to C on the A string at fret 3. The root falls on the G string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | A♭ |
| 3 (C) | 0, 2, 3 | C, E♭♭, E♭ |
| 2 (E) | 1, 2 | F, G♭ |
| 1 (A) | 2, 3 | C♭, C |
Box 2 · frets 2–5
A♭ hungarian major in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 10 notes across 4 strings, from E♭♭ on the C string at fret 2 up to E♭♭ 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) | 4, 5 | C♭, C |
| 3 (C) | 2, 3, 5 | E♭♭, E♭, F |
| 2 (E) | 2, 4 | G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (A) | 2, 3, 5 | C♭, C, E♭♭ |
Box 3 · frets 5–8
A♭ hungarian major in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 11 notes across 4 strings, from F on the C string at fret 5 up to F on the A string at fret 8. The root falls on the C string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 5, 7, 8 | C, E♭♭, E♭ |
| 3 (C) | 5, 6, 8 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (E) | 7, 8 | C♭, C |
| 1 (A) | 5, 6, 8 | E♭♭, E♭, F |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
A♭ hungarian major in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 11 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, 10, 11 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 3 (C) | 8, 11 | A♭, C♭ |
| 2 (E) | 8, 10, 11 | C, E♭♭, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 8, 9, 11 | F, G♭, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ Hungarian major is A♭ acoustic with the fourth raised to E♭♭. The intervals are 1, ♭3, 3, ♭5, 5, 6, ♭7, giving steps 1½, H, W, H, W, H, W. See A♭ acoustic for the parent scale.
When to use it
A♭ Hungarian major works over A♭ major or A♭ minor for a tense, exotic colour. The ♭5 E♭♭ suits D 7th flat 5 or D minor 7th flat 5th. Try it in Eastern European folk or fusion.
Which position to practise
Start with Box 1. It keeps the root on string 4, fret 1 and covers frets 0–3, making the ♭3 C♭ and ♭5 E♭♭ easy to reach.
Common questions
What notes are in A♭ Hungarian major?
A♭, C♭, C, E♭♭, E♭, F, G♭. E♭♭ is enharmonic with D, and is the flat fifth. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit A♭ Hungarian major?
A♭ major and A♭ minor are tonic options. The ♭5 E♭♭ pairs with D 7th flat 5 or D minor 7th flat 5th.
How does A♭ Hungarian major differ from A♭ acoustic?
A♭ acoustic has D, while Hungarian major raises it to E♭♭, creating the ♭5 interval.