Guitar UpscaleOriental Scale on guitar
The Oriental scale has a flat second, a major third, a flat fifth, a major sixth and a flat seventh.
| Notes in A | A Bb C# D Eb F# G |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 b2 3 4 b5 6 b7 |
| Steps | H W+H H H W+H H W (W whole step, H half step) |
| Note count | 7 |
| Style in the app | Various Exotic, scale "Oriental 3" |
Play the A Oriental Scale on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale
About the Oriental Scale
The notes are root, flat 2nd, 3rd, 4th, flat 5th, 6th and flat 7th. This is the version most guitar books call the Oriental scale.
The half steps around the 4th and the flat 5th sound tense, and the major 6th keeps the top bright.
Use it over a dominant 7th chord with a flat 5th and a flat 9th.
Intervals from the root
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | In A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A |
| b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 | Bb |
| 3 | Major 3rd | 4 | C# |
| 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | D |
| b5 | Tritone | 6 | Eb |
| 6 | Major 6th | 9 | F# |
| b7 | Minor 7th | 10 | G |
Chords in the A Oriental Scale
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each note. These chords sound at home with the scale, so they make good progressions.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| I | A(b5) | A7b5 |
| bII+ | Bbaug | Bbmaj7#5 |
| III | none | none |
| IV | D | Dmaj7 |
| bV | Eb | Ebmaj7 |
| vi | F#m | F#m6 |
| bvii | Gm | GmMaj7 |
Same notes, another starting note
Start the A Oriental Scale on another of its notes and you get these scales:
- From degree 4 (D): D Byzantine scale
- From degree b7 (G): G Hungarian Minor scale
Oriental Scale in every key
| Key | Notes | Play it |
|---|---|---|
| C | C Db E F Gb A Bb | Open |
| Db | Db D F Gb G Bb Cb | Open |
| D | D Eb F# G Ab B C | Open |
| Eb | Eb Fb G Ab A C Db | Open |
| E | E F G# A Bb C# D | Open |
| F | F Gb A Bb Cb D Eb | Open |
| F# | F# G A# B C D# E | Open |
| G | G Ab B C Db E F | Open |
| Ab | Ab A C Db D F Gb | Open |
| A | A Bb C# D Eb F# G | Open |
| Bb | Bb Cb D Eb Fb G Ab | Open |
| B | B C D# E F G# A | Open |