Playing D Arabic with an Open Root
Hold the open D string as a drone and fret D, E, F#, G, Ab, Bb and C around it. That is the D Arabic scale, a major-sounding start (D, E, F#, G) with a darker ending.
The Ab is the turning point, a flat fifth that arrives just after the G. In box shapes the root is on the 10th fret of the low E string and the 5th fret of the A string. Try it, then browse more exotic scales.
Play the D arabic scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the D arabic scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | Root | 0 |
| E | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| F# | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| G | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Ab | b5 | Tritone | 6 |
| Bb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| C | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
D arabic scale notes:
How the arabic scale is built:
The arabic scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 4 b5 b6 b7, which gives the step pattern W-W-H-H-W-W-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is also known as Major Locrian.
D Arabic Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (D)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the D arabic scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Scales with the same notes as D Arabic
These scales use exactly the same notes. Each one starts somewhere else, so the root and the mood change.
| Scale | Starts on degree | Learn the scale |
|---|---|---|
| G Neapolitan | 4 | Neapolitan Major |
Other scales on D
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- D Bizantine: shares 4 notes
- D Persian: shares 5 notes
- D Phrygian Dominant: shares 5 notes
- D Mixolydian b6: 5 instead of b5
- D Aeolian b5: b3 instead of 3
The arabic scale in other keys
Keep learning
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
