STRINGSCALES

D hungarian major Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E#, F#, G#, A, B, C, D at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10

A string: A, B, C, D, E#, F#, G#, A at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12

D string: D, E#, F#, G#, A, B, C, D at frets 0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

G string: G#, A, B, C, D, E#, F# at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11

B string: B, C, D, E#, F#, G#, A, B at frets 0, 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

High E string: E#, F#, G#, A, B, C, D at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10

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D hungarian major

The hungarian major scale is a bright oddity: root, sharp 2nd, major 3rd, sharp 4th, 5th, 6th, flat 7th. The augmented 2nd opening (like harmonic minor upside down) collides with a lydian dominant top half. Brubeck and progressive writers have toyed with it; over a 13#11 chord it delivers exotic and functional at once.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

D

I

Dmaj
E♯

#ii°

E♯dim
F♯

iii°

F♯dim
G♯

#iv°

G♯dim
A

V+

Am♯5
B

vi

Bm
C

bvii

E♯m/C

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

tip
  • Start phrases with the augmented 2nd right at the bottom: root to #2 (F) to III is the scale's calling card.
  • Treat it as lydian dominant with a raised 2nd: over a D13#11 chord, everything lands.
  • The #4 (G#) resolves up to V while bVII (C) resolves down to VI; work both tendencies into one line for maximum color.
  • Its odd symmetry (it is a mode of a rotation of half-whole diminished) means diminished licks can be recycled inside it.

How to play D hungarian major on guitar

Open D is a root, open A the fifth and open B the sixth, so a three-string pedal needs no fretting at all. Chord iii° is F#dim, which means the third degree comes out diminished. Fretted roots are fret 10 on both E strings, fret 5 on the A, fret 7 on the G and fret 3 on the B. Second shape owns everything from fret 14.

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