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