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E♭ hungarian major scale on ukulele
E♭ Hungarian major uses E♭, G♭, G, B♭♭, B♭, C, D♭. Box 1 roots sit on string 3, fret 3 and string 1, fret 6.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 3, ♭5, 5, 6, ♭7
How do you play the E♭ hungarian major scale on ukulele?
E♭ hungarian major in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 11 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 C string at fret 3.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 0, 2, 3 | G, B♭♭, B♭ |
| 3 (C) | 0, 1, 3 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (E) | 2, 3 | G♭, G |
| 1 (A) | 0, 1, 3 | B♭♭, B♭, C |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
E♭ hungarian major in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 11 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the C string at fret 3 up to E♭ on the A string at fret 6. The root falls on the C string at fret 3 and the A string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3, 5, 6 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 3 (C) | 3, 6 | E♭, G♭ |
| 2 (E) | 3, 5, 6 | G, B♭♭, B♭ |
| 1 (A) | 3, 4, 6 | C, D♭, E♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
E♭ hungarian major 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 G string at fret 8 and the A string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (C) | 6, 7, 9 | G♭, G, B♭♭ |
| 2 (E) | 6, 8, 9 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 1 (A) | 6, 9 | E♭, G♭ |
Box 4 · frets 9–12
E♭ hungarian major in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 10 notes across 4 strings, from B♭♭ on the C string at fret 9 up to B♭♭ on the A string at fret 12. The root falls on the E string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 11, 12 | G♭, G |
| 3 (C) | 9, 10, 12 | B♭♭, B♭, C |
| 2 (E) | 9, 11 | D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 9, 10, 12 | G♭, G, B♭♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ Hungarian major comes from E♭ acoustic by raising the fourth to B♭♭. The scale degrees are 1, ♭3, 3, ♭5, 5, 6, ♭7 with steps 1½, H, W, H, W, H, W. Compare with E♭ acoustic to hear the change.
When to use it
Use E♭ Hungarian major over E♭ major or E♭ minor for a dark, Eastern flavour. The ♭5 B♭♭ fits A 7th flat 5 or A minor 7th flat 5th. It suits Hungarian folk and modern jazz.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first. It places the root on string 3, fret 3 and covers frets 0–3, giving quick access to the ♭3 G♭ and ♭5 B♭♭.
Common questions
Which notes are in E♭ Hungarian major?
E♭, G♭, G, B♭♭, B♭, C, D♭. B♭♭ is enharmonic with A, and is the flat fifth. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit E♭ Hungarian major?
E♭ major and E♭ minor work as tonics. The ♭5 B♭♭ pairs with A 7th flat 5 or A minor 7th flat 5th.
Is E♭ Hungarian major the same as E♭ acoustic?
No. E♭ acoustic has A, while Hungarian major raises it to B♭♭, creating the ♭5 interval.