Also written Byzantine
B♭ gypsy major uses B♭, C♭, D, E♭, F, G♭, A. The 2–6 Box 1 grip places the root on string 4, fret 3.
B♭ gypsy major is built as B♭ phrygian dominant with the seventh raised from A♭ to A. The scale follows 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7. Its step pattern is H, 1½, H, W, H, 1½, H. Compare it with B♭ phrygian dominant.
Use B♭ gypsy major over a B♭ major or B♭ 5th chord for a sharp ♭2 and ♭6 colour. It fits B♭, C♭, D, E♭, F, G♭, A harmony. Try it in Middle Eastern or fusion styles. See B♭ major and F 7th flat 5.
Practise Box 1 first. It keeps the root on string 4, fret 3 and covers frets 2–5, setting up the Box 2 shift.
B♭ gypsy major in box 1 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 10 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 G string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 2, 3, 4 | A, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (C) | 2, 3, 5 | D, E♭, F |
| 2 (E) | 2, 5 | G♭, A |
| 1 (A) | 2, 5 | C♭, D |
B♭ gypsy major in box 2 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 10 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 E string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7, 8 | D, E♭ |
| 3 (C) | 5, 6 | F, G♭ |
| 2 (E) | 5, 6, 7 | A, B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (A) | 5, 6, 8 | D, E♭, F |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
B♭, C♭, D, E♭, F, G♭, A. The scale has a major third and a raised seventh. It is also called Byzantine. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
B♭ major and B♭ 5th work as tonic chords. F 7th flat 5 fits the fifth degree. G♭ augmented matches the ♭6.
B♭ gypsy major raises the seventh from A♭ to A. This creates a leading tone to the tonic. The rest of the scale is identical.