Also written Hungarian Minor, Nawa Athar or Nihavent
G gypsy minor runs G, A, B♭, D♭, D, E♭, F♯. Box 1 places the root on string 2, fret 3 for a high, bright start.
Form it from G harmonic minor by lowering the fourth degree C to D♭, creating a 1½-step gap between B♭ and D♭. The scale degrees are 1, 2, ♭3, ♭5, 5, ♭6, 7. This alteration yields the signature augmented-second leap. Compare with G harmonic minor to hear the difference.
G gypsy minor works over G minor or G 5th chords for an exotic, tense sound. Use it over a G minor vamp to highlight the augmented second. It fits progressive metal, fusion, and Middle Eastern–flavoured lines. The major seventh F♯ resolves strongly to G.
Learn Box 1 first. It places the root on string 2, fret 3 and covers frets 0–4, which is good for developing finger independence in the high register.
G gypsy minor in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 4, 11 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 0 and the E string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 0, 2, 3 | G, A, B♭ |
| 3 (C) | 1, 2, 3 | D♭, D, E♭ |
| 2 (E) | 2, 3 | F♯, G |
| 1 (A) | 0, 1, 4 | A, B♭, D♭ |
G gypsy minor in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 10 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 E string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3, 6 | B♭, D♭ |
| 3 (C) | 3, 6 | E♭, F♯ |
| 2 (E) | 3, 5, 6 | G, A, B♭ |
| 1 (A) | 4, 5, 6 | D♭, D, E♭ |
G gypsy minor in box 3 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 9 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 7 and the A string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7, 8 | D, E♭ |
| 3 (C) | 7, 9, 10 | G, A, B♭ |
| 2 (E) | 9, 10 | D♭, D |
| 1 (A) | 9, 10 | F♯, G |
G gypsy minor in box 4 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 G string at fret 12 and the A string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 11, 12 | F♯, G |
| 3 (C) | 9, 10 | A, B♭ |
| 2 (E) | 9, 10, 11 | D♭, D, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 9, 10, 12 | F♯, G, A |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
The notes are G, A, B♭, D♭, D, E♭, and F♯. The scale has a minor third, flat fifth, and major seventh. These intervals create its distinctive sound.
G gypsy minor fits G minor and G 5th chords. The scale contains a minor third and perfect fifth, so it works over a minor tonic. The flat fifth adds tension.
G gypsy minor lowers the fourth degree from C to D♭ compared to G harmonic minor. This creates an augmented second between B♭ and D♭. The rest of the notes are identical.