Playing the E Indian Scale
Playing the E Indian scale starts with the easiest root on the guitar: the open low E string, followed by F, A, B and C.
The high E string rings the same root two octaves up, and the 7th fret of the A string adds another. The notes all belong to C major, though the F against E gives them a very different mood. For comparison, see the family of exotic scales.
Play the E indian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the E indian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | Root | 0 |
| F | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| A | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| B | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| C | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
Structure
E 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.
E Indian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (low E)
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 E
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- E Japanese: 2 instead of b2
- E Phrygian: adds the b3 and b7
- E Bizantine: adds the 3 and 7
- E 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
