Eb Bizantine, Notes and Fingering

Eb, Fb, G, Ab, Bb, Cb and D form the Eb Bizantine scale. Fb and Cb look unusual, but they are the E and B you already know.

The root is found on the 11th fret of the low E string and the 6th fret of the A string. Flat keys are common with brass instruments, so this key may come up if you play along with a band.

Play the Eb bizantine scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the Eb bizantine scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
Eb1Root0
Fbb2Minor 2nd1
G3Major 3rd4
Ab4Perfect 4th5
Bb5Perfect 5th7
Cbb6Minor 6th8
D7Major 7th11

Structure

Eb bizantine scale notes:

Eb Fb G Ab Bb Cb D

How the bizantine scale is built:

The bizantine scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7, which gives the step pattern H-W+H-H-W-H-W+H-H (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is also known as Double Harmonic Major, Hijaz Kar and Byzantine.

Eb Bizantine Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - On one string (D)

On one string (D)

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 1

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 2

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 3

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 4

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 5

Box pattern — position 5

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 1

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 2

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 3

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 4

Eb Bizantine Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 5

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the Eb bizantine scale

Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.

DegreeTriadSeventh chord
1 Eb Ebmaj7
b2 Fb (same as E) Fbmaj7 (same as Emaj7)
3 Gm Gm6
4 Abm Abm(maj7)
5 Bb(b5) Bb7(b5)
b6 Cbaug (same as Baug) Cbmaj7(b13)
7 Dsus2(add#11) D6sus2(add#11)

Scales with the same notes as Eb Bizantine

These scales use exactly the same notes. Each one starts somewhere else, so the root and the mood change.

ScaleStarts on degreeLearn the scale
Ab Gipsy Hungarian 4 Gipsy Hungarian Scale

Other scales on Eb

Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.

The bizantine scale in other keys

All about the bizantine scale →

Keep learning