A Persian Scale and the Open A String
Start with the open A string and climb through A, Bb, C#, D, Eb, F and G# to reach the A Persian scale. The open D string is in it too, so a few notes need no fretting at all.
On the low E string the root is on the 5th fret. Bb is the flat second and Eb is the flat fifth, and both are worth isolating, since they give the scale its sound.
Play the A persian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the A persian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Bb | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| C# | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| D | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Eb | b5 | Tritone | 6 |
| F | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| G# | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
A persian scale notes:
How the persian scale is built:
The persian scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 3 4 b5 b6 7, which gives the step pattern H-W+H-H-H-W-W+H-H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.
A Persian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (A)
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
Chords in the A persian scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Other scales on A
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- A Bizantine: 5 instead of b5
- A Arabic: shares 5 notes
- A Indian: shares 4 notes
The persian scale in other keys
Keep learning
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
