B Indian Scale, Note by Note
B, C, E, F# and G are the five notes of the B Indian scale. The half step from B up to C is the first tension, and the one from F# up to G is the second.
The open B string doubles as the root, so you can let it ring as a drone while the fretting hand moves through the pattern. Everything here also sits inside G major, a handy check when you improvise. More colours like this live in other exotic scales.
Play the B indian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the B indian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 1 | Root | 0 |
| C | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| E | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| F# | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| G | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
Structure
B indian scale notes:
How the indian scale is built:
The indian scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 4 5 b6, which gives the step pattern H-WW-W-H-WW (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 5, 7, 8. That makes it a 5-note scale.
B Indian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (B)
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
Other scales on B
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- B Japanese: 2 instead of b2
- B Phrygian: adds the b3 and b7
- B Bizantine: adds the 3 and 7
- B Phrygian Dominant: adds the 3 and b7
The indian scale in other keys
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
