A# Oriental Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
A# Oriental Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A# Oriental scale is an aggressive and dissonant exotic scale. On Guitar, its notes are A#, B, D, D#, E, G, G#. It is frequently used in film and television scores to signal danger, ancient mystery, or high-stakes drama. Commonly used in Film Scores, Metal, Experimental. Notable players include Hans Zimmer, John Williams. Use over sustained bass notes or pedal tones. Best in dramatic, cinematic contexts rather than over standard chord changes.
Notes: A#, B, D, D#, E, G, G#
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3M, 4P, 5d, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5 6 b7
Formula: H-WH-H-H-WH-H-W
Number of notes: 7
How to Play A# Oriental 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# Oriental scale contains 3 sharps (A#, D#, G#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the A# Oriental scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
Exotic scales like the Oriental often work best as a melodic layer over a single root drone on A#. Let the unique intervals speak for themselves without frequent chord changes.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the A# Oriental scale on a single string from the open position to the 12th fret. This trains your ear to hear the intervals linearly and helps with slide guitar applications.
The A# Oriental scale contains 7 notes (A#, B, D, D#, E, G, G#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A# Oriental
The A# Oriental 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# Oriental Further
- Harmonize the A# Oriental scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A# Oriental on Ukulele
- A# Oriental on Bass
- A# Oriental on Piano
Explore A# Oriental in Other Tunings
- A# Oriental in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Oriental in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- A# Oriental in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- A# Oriental in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- A# Oriental in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- A# Oriental in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- A# Oriental in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- A# Oriental in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- A# Oriental in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- A# Oriental in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- A# Oriental in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- A# Oriental in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- A# Oriental in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Oriental in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)