Playing D Hungarian Minor with an Open Root
Start with the open D string as a drone, then add D, E, F, G#, A, Bb and C# on the other strings. That is the D Gipsy Hungarian scale, a minor scale with a raised 4th.
The G# is the note that surprises the ear, sitting a half step under the fifth. In the box shapes the root appears on the 10th fret of the low E string and the 5th fret of the A string. Listen in the player before you try it over a droning D, then explore more exotic scales.
Play the D gipsy hungarian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the D gipsy hungarian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | Root | 0 |
| E | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| F | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| G# | #4 | Tritone | 6 |
| A | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Bb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| C# | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
D gipsy hungarian scale notes:
How the gipsy hungarian scale is built:
The gipsy hungarian scale is built from the degrees 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7, which gives the step pattern W-H-W+H-H-H-W+H-H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is also known as Hungarian Minor.
D Gipsy Hungarian 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 gipsy hungarian scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Scales with the same notes as D Gipsy Hungarian
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 |
|---|---|---|
| A Bizantine | 5 | Bizantine Scale |
Other scales on D
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- D Persian: shares 4 notes
- D Bizantine: shares 4 notes
- D Dorian #4: shares 5 notes
- D Harmonic Minor: 4 instead of #4
The gipsy hungarian scale in other keys
Keep learning
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
