A# Hungarian Minor Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
A# Hungarian Minor Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A# Hungarian Minor scale, also known as the Gypsy Minor, is famous for its two wide melodic gaps. On Guitar, its notes are A#, C, C#, E, F, F#, A. It sounds powerful, mysterious, and perfectly balanced, frequently appearing in classical masterworks and modern melodic metal. Commonly used in Classical, Metal, Klezmer, Film Scores, Gypsy Jazz. Notable players include Franz Liszt, Yngwie Malmsteen, Marty Friedman, Django Reinhardt. Use over m chords in gypsy jazz and neoclassical metal. Works beautifully over i-V progressions in minor keys.
Notes: A#, C, C#, E, F, F#, A
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4A, 5P, 6m, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7
Formula: W-H-WH-H-H-WH-H
Number of notes: 7
How to Play A# Hungarian Minor on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 6 on the 6th (low E) to find your A# root note. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is 1st fret on the A string.
The A# Hungarian Minor scale contains 3 sharps (A#, C#, F#). Its relative major is C# major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the A# Hungarian Minor scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (A#-C#, C-E) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on A# to let the characteristic intervals of the Hungarian Minor scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
Use hybrid picking (pick + fingers) when playing the A# Hungarian Minor scale on guitar to access wider intervals and string skips that a pick alone cannot handle efficiently.
The A# Hungarian Minor scale contains 7 notes (A#, C, C#, E, F, F#, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A# Hungarian Minor
The A# Hungarian Minor scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore A# Hungarian Minor Further
- Harmonize the A# Hungarian Minor scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A# Hungarian Minor on Ukulele
- A# Hungarian Minor on Bass
- A# Hungarian Minor on Piano
Explore A# Hungarian Minor in Other Tunings
- A# Hungarian Minor in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Hungarian Minor in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- A# Hungarian Minor in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- A# Hungarian Minor in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Hungarian Minor in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)