C# Hungarian Minor Guitar Scale

C# Hungarian Minor Scale — Notes and Intervals

The C# Hungarian Minor scale, also known as the Gypsy Minor, is famous for its two wide melodic gaps. On Guitar, its notes are C#, D#, E, G, G#, A, C. 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: C#, D#, E, G, G#, A, C

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

Musical Character

Contains TWO augmented 2nd intervals (b3-#4 and b6-7), giving it an unmistakable double-exotic quality. These 'leaps' are what make it sound simultaneously Eastern European and Middle Eastern.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Classical, Metal, Klezmer, Film Scores, Gypsy Jazz

Notable players: Franz Liszt, Yngwie Malmsteen, Marty Friedman, Django Reinhardt

How to Use the C# Hungarian Minor Scale

Use over m chords in gypsy jazz and neoclassical metal. Works beautifully over i-V progressions in minor keys.

Origin & Background

Also known as the Gypsy Minor scale. Central to the Hungarian Rhapsodies of Franz Liszt and Romani musical tradition.

How to Play C# Hungarian Minor on Guitar

Place your index finger at fret 9 on the 6th (low E) to find your C# 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 4th fret on the A string.

The C# Hungarian Minor scale contains 3 sharps (C#, D#, G#). Its relative major is E major, which shares the same key signature.

Practice Routine

Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the C# Hungarian Minor 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.

Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on C# to let the characteristic intervals of the Hungarian Minor scale come through clearly. This scale is especially effective in gypsy jazz contexts.

Guitar Tips

On guitar, practice the C# Hungarian Minor 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. Aim for a powerful quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

• C# Harmonic minor
• C# Phrygian dominant
• C# Double harmonic major
• C# Hungarian major

The C# Hungarian Minor scale contains 7 notes (C#, D#, E, G, G#, A, C). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for C# Hungarian Minor

The C# 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 C# Hungarian Minor Further

• Harmonize the C# Hungarian Minor scale — triads & 7th chords
• Browse chord progressions
• C# Hungarian Minor on Ukulele
• C# Hungarian Minor on Bass
• C# Hungarian Minor on Piano

Explore C# Hungarian Minor in Other Tunings

• C# Hungarian Minor in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
• C# Hungarian Minor in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
• C# Hungarian Minor in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
• C# Hungarian Minor in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
• C# Hungarian Minor in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)

← Back to all Guitar scales