STRINGSCALES

A hungarian minor Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, G#, A, B, C, D#, E at frets 0, 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12

A string: A, B, C, D#, E, F, G#, A at frets 0, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12

D string: D#, E, F, G#, A, B, C at frets 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10

G string: G#, A, B, C, D#, E, F at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10

B string: B, C, D#, E, F, G#, A, B at frets 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12

High E string: E, F, G#, A, B, C, D#, E at frets 0, 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12

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A hungarian minor

The hungarian minor scale is harmonic minor with a raised 4th: two augmented 2nd leaps, one on each side of the 5th. This is the full gypsy-scale drama of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies and Eastern European violin music, and a secret weapon in neoclassical metal. The #4 to 5 and 7 to root resolutions give it two built-in climaxes per octave.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A

i

Am
B

II

Bmaj♭5
C

bIII+

Caug
D♯

#IV

F7no5/D♯
E

V

Emaj
F

bVI

Fmaj
G♯

vii

G♯m

Same notes, different mode

A hungarian minor uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

B orientalE double harmonic major

hungarian minor in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Two augmented 2nds flank the 5th: practice bIII (C) to #IV (D#) and bVI (F) to VII as deliberate leaps with a slide or bend.
  • Resolve #IV (D#) up to V and VII up to A; the scale has two built-in climaxes per octave, so phrase toward them.
  • Over a minor chord vamp on A, alternate harmonic minor and hungarian minor: only the 4th changes, and the #4 (D#) doubles the drama.
  • For neoclassical metal, sequence the upper tetrachord (V, bVI (F), VII, root); it carries the entire gypsy-scale character.

How to play A hungarian minor on guitar

Open A is the tonic and both E strings the fifth, so a pedal is on hand at either end of the neck. Box one expires at fret 9, which puts the A-shape barre at fret 12 into second-position territory. Two sharps in the signature. EM covers the fifth degree as a plain major triad, and the nearest-nut fretted root is fret 2 on the G string.

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