C Hungarian Minor Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagram
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 Ukulele, its notes are C, D, Eb, F#, G, Ab, B. 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, Eb, F#, G, Ab, B
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 C Hungarian Minor on Ukulele
On ukulele, find C on the open strings or work through the scale within a four-fret span. You may need to shift positions once to cover all 7 notes. Practice each position separately before linking them together.
The C Hungarian Minor scale contains both sharps and flats (1 sharp, 2 flats), which is common in altered and exotic scales. Its relative major is Eb major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Practice the C Hungarian Minor scale by playing it ascending with one rhythmic feel (straight eighth notes) and descending with another (swing or triplets) at 80 BPM. This dual approach trains both technical accuracy and rhythmic versatility with the 7 notes of the scale.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on C to let the characteristic intervals of the Hungarian Minor scale come through clearly.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the C Hungarian Minor scale easy to visualize in a single position. Use this to your advantage by memorizing the scale shape relative to chord shapes you already know.
The C Hungarian Minor scale contains 7 notes (C, D, Eb, F#, G, Ab, B). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele 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 Guitar
- C Hungarian Minor on Bass
- C Hungarian Minor on Piano