STRINGSCALES

D hungarian minor Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

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

B string: C#, D, E, F, G#, A, Bb at frets 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11

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

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D 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:

D

i

Dm
E

II

Emaj♭5
F

bIII+

Faug
G♯

#IV

B♭7no5/G#
A

V

Amaj
B♭

bVI

B♭maj
C♯

vii

C♯m

Same notes, different mode

D 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.

E orientalA double harmonic major

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

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

How to play D hungarian minor on guitar

Open D is the tonic and open A the fifth, giving you a pedal that costs nothing. Both E strings are in key too. Lowest root is the 10th fret of the sixth string, which puts an E-shape barre high and the A-shape at fret 5 in easier reach. C#m sits a half step under the tonic, so it leads straight back into the tonic minor. Position one stops working at fret 14.

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