B Egyptian Guitar Scale — Open D
Guitar scale in Open D tuning — fretboard diagram
B Egyptian in Open D — Notes and Intervals
The B Egyptian scale, also known as the Suspended Pentatonic, is widely used in Middle Eastern and African musical traditions. On Guitar, it contains the notes B, C#, E, F#, A. It has a stable, folk-like quality and is often used in wind chime tunings because of its inherently calm and balanced sound. Commonly used in Middle Eastern, World, Ambient, Film Scores. Notable players include Oud masters, Peter Gabriel. Use over sus2, sus4, power chords. The absence of 3rd and 7th makes it harmonically ambiguous — works over major or minor contexts.
Notes: B, C#, E, F#, A
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 4P, 5P, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 b5
Formula: W-WH-W-WH-W
Number of notes: 5
Tuning: Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
About Open D Tuning
Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D) produces a full D major chord when strummed open, creating a warm, resonant sound that has been a staple of slide guitar, folk, and acoustic music for over a century. The three D strings create a deep, droning foundation that makes even simple chord shapes sound lush and full.
Open D is closely related to Open E (same intervals, just a whole step lower) but puts less tension on the guitar neck, making it safer for acoustic instruments. It was a favorite of Joni Mitchell, who used it extensively for her unique chord voicings, and Bob Dylan, who popularized it in folk-rock. For slide players, Open D provides the same intuitive major-chord-at-any-fret approach as Open G but with a warmer, deeper character.
Notable artists: Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Bruce Cockburn, Elmore James
Best for: Slide guitar, folk fingerpicking, singer-songwriter arrangements, and acoustic compositions with rich open-string resonance
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- B Egyptian in Standard Tuning
- B Egyptian in Drop D
- B Egyptian in DADGAD
- B Egyptian in Open G
- B Egyptian in Baritone (B Standard)
- B Egyptian in 7-string
- B Egyptian in 8-string
- B Egyptian in Drop C
- B Egyptian in Drop B
- B Egyptian in Half Step Down
- B Egyptian in Open E
- B Egyptian in Open A
- B Egyptian in Double Drop D
- B Egyptian in Open C