Hungarian minor scale

The Hungarian minor scale is a type of combined musical scale. It is akin to the harmonic minor scale, except that it bears a raised fourth. Its tonal center is slightly ambiguous, due to the large number of half steps. Also known as Double Harmonic Minor, or Harmonic Minor ♯4, it figures prominently in Eastern European music, particularly in gypsy music. Melodies based on this scale have an exotic, romantic flavor for listeners accustomed to more typical Western scales.

A Hungarian minor scale in the key of C would proceed as follows: C D E♭ F♯ G A♭ B.
Its step pattern is w - h - + - h - h - + - h, where w indicates a whole step, h indicates a half step, and + indicates an augmented second, which looks like a minor third on a keyboard but is notationally distinct.

Chords that may be derived from the scale are Cm, D7♭5, Eb+, G, A♭7 and Bm6.

This scale is obtainable from the *Arabic scale by starting from the fourth of that scale. Said another way, the C Hungarian minor scale is equivalent to the G Arabic scale.

In Enix's video game The Illusion of Gaia, the flute melody found in the Inca Ruins uses the C Hungarian minor scale (a ♯4 is used in the second phrase); this music is also quoted in the music of the Larai Cliff stage, transposed to D.

Joe Satriani has composed several songs using the Hungarian minor scale, and film composer Danny Elfman has frequently used it in his soundtrack work.

ee also

*Gypsy scale
*Arabic scale