Also written Byzantine
D gypsy major uses D, E♭, F♯, G, A, B♭, C♯. The 2–6 Box 1 grip puts the root on string 3, fret 2.
D gypsy major is built as D phrygian dominant with the seventh raised from C to C♯. The scale follows 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7. Its step pattern is H, 1½, H, W, H, 1½, H. Compare it with D phrygian dominant.
Use D gypsy major over a D major or D 5th chord for a sharp ♭2 and ♭6 colour. It fits D, E♭, F♯, G, A, B♭, C♯ harmony. Try it in Middle Eastern or fusion styles. See D major and A 7th flat 5.
Practise Box 1 first. It keeps the root on string 3, fret 2 and covers frets 2–5, setting up the Box 2 shift.
D gypsy major 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 C string at fret 2 and the A string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 2, 3 | A, B♭ |
| 3 (C) | 2, 3 | D, E♭ |
| 2 (E) | 2, 3, 5 | F♯, G, A |
| 1 (A) | 4, 5 | C♯, D |
D gypsy major in box 2 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 10 notes across 4 strings, from F♯ on the C string at fret 6 up to F♯ on the A string at fret 9. The root falls on the G string at fret 7.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6, 7, 8 | C♯, D, E♭ |
| 3 (C) | 6, 7, 9 | F♯, G, A |
| 2 (E) | 6, 9 | B♭, C♯ |
| 1 (A) | 6, 9 | E♭, F♯ |
D gypsy major in box 3 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A on the C string at fret 9 up to A on the A string at fret 12. The root falls on the E string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 11, 12 | F♯, G |
| 3 (C) | 9, 10 | A, B♭ |
| 2 (E) | 9, 10, 11 | C♯, D, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 9, 10, 12 | F♯, G, A |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
D, E♭, F♯, G, A, B♭, C♯. The scale has a major third and a raised seventh. It is also called Byzantine.
D major and D 5th work as tonic chords. A 7th flat 5 fits the fifth degree. B♭ augmented matches the ♭6.
D gypsy major raises the seventh from C to C♯. This creates a leading tone to the tonic. The rest of the scale is identical.