Hungarian Minor Scale
Also known as Double Harmonic Minor, Gypsy Minor and Hungarian Gypsy Scale.
What Is the Hungarian Minor Scale?
Dark and dramatic: a minor scale with a raised 4th that opens two augmented-second gaps, producing a haunting, distinctly Eastern-European color.
Hungarian minor is harmonic minor with one extra alteration — the 4th degree is raised a half step. That single change creates a second augmented second (♭3 to ♯4) on top of the one harmonic minor already has (♭6 to 7). Two augmented seconds in one octave is what gives the scale its intense, exotic pull.
The raised 4th also produces a tritone against the root, lending an unresolved, suspenseful quality. The scale is a staple of Eastern-European folk and Romani music, and composers reach for it whenever they want a minor tonality that sounds older and more ornamented than the natural or harmonic minor.
Formula & Construction
The Hungarian Minor Scale follows the scale-degree formula 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7, which in semitones from the root is 0 – 2 – 3 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 11. Starting on C that spells C – D – E♭ – F♯ – G – A♭ – B and returns to C on top.
| Degree | Semitones | Note in C |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | C |
| 2 | 2 | D |
| ♭3 | 3 | E♭ |
| ♯4 | 6 | F♯ |
| 5 | 7 | G |
| ♭6 | 8 | A♭ |
| 7 | 11 | B |
Character & Mood
Dark and dramatic: a minor scale with a raised 4th that opens two augmented-second gaps, producing a haunting, distinctly Eastern-European color.
How It Is Built
A harmonic minor scale with a raised 4th (♯4). The two augmented seconds — between ♭3 and ♯4, and between ♭6 and 7 — give it twice the "harmonic" tension, which is why it is also called the double harmonic minor.
The Hungarian Minor Scale in All 12 Keys
Below is the Hungarian Minor Scale written out in every key, ascending one octave. Each key uses its correct letter-name spelling (every letter A–G appears once), so the accidentals match how the scale is properly notated.
| Key | Notes (ascending) |
|---|---|
| C | C · D · E♭ · F♯ · G · A♭ · B |
| D♭ | D♭ · E♭ · F♭ · G · A♭ · B♭♭ · C |
| D | D · E · F · G♯ · A · B♭ · C♯ |
| E♭ | E♭ · F · G♭ · A · B♭ · C♭ · D |
| E | E · F♯ · G · A♯ · B · C · D♯ |
| F | F · G · A♭ · B · C · D♭ · E |
| F♯ | F♯ · G♯ · A · B♯ · C♯ · D · E♯ |
| G | G · A · B♭ · C♯ · D · E♭ · F♯ |
| A♭ | A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D · E♭ · F♭ · G |
| A | A · B · C · D♯ · E · F · G♯ |
| B♭ | B♭ · C · D♭ · E · F · G♭ · A |
| B | B · C♯ · D · E♯ · F♯ · G · A♯ |
How to Play It — Fingering
Right hand
Right hand: thumb on the root, finger 2 on the 2nd, 3 on the ♭3, then the thumb tucks under to reach the ♯4 (the first augmented-second gap). Continue 1-2-3 to the top. Take the two augmented seconds slowly at first — the hand has to stretch and the ear has to learn the leaps.
Left hand
Left hand: finger 5 on the root, 4-3-2 climbing, with finger 3 crossing over the thumb after the 5th degree. The ♯4 sits where you would normally play a natural 4th, so watch that you do not fall back into harmonic-minor muscle memory.
Where It Is Used
The Hungarian Minor Scale turns up across Eastern-European & Romani folk, Classical (nationalist & Romantic), Neoclassical metal and more. A few well-known examples often associated with this sound:
- Hungarian Rhapsodies — Franz Liszt · Liszt drew on the Hungarian/Romani idiom this scale captures.
- Hungarian Dances — Johannes Brahms · Evokes the same Eastern-European minor color.
- Romanian Folk Dances — Béla Bartók · Bartók collected folk melodies built on scales like this.
References list titles and composers/artists only, as a guide to the scale’s characteristic sound.