Eb Arabic: Notes and Where to Play
Eb, F, G, Ab, Bbb, Cb and Db are the notes of the Eb Arabic scale. Bbb and Cb are plain A and B on the fretboard, so the music is simpler than the notation.
The root is on the 11th fret of the low E string and the 6th fret of the A string. The first four notes sound like Eb major, so the dark turn at the fifth degree comes as a surprise.
Play the Eb arabic scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the Eb arabic scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eb | 1 | Root | 0 |
| F | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| G | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| Ab | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Bbb | b5 | Tritone | 6 |
| Cb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| Db | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
Eb 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.
Eb 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 Eb arabic scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Scales with the same notes as Eb 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ab Neapolitan | 4 | Neapolitan Major |
Other scales on Eb
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- Eb Bizantine: shares 4 notes
- Eb Persian: shares 5 notes
- Eb Phrygian Dominant: shares 5 notes
- Eb Mixolydian b6: 5 instead of b5
- Eb 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
