Guitar Lesson: The Romanian Minor Gypsy Scale (Linear) | Los Angeles or Skype Guitar Lessons with Vreny

The Romanian Minor Scale

Other names for this scale include the Romanian Minor Scale, The Ukrainian Doran scale, the altered Dorian scale, or Dorian #4.

This is one of several scales used by the Romani or Roma people. It is used in Romanian music and Jewish music.
The sound of the scale might remind you of Jewish klezmer music.

The formula is: 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7

The scale has 3 half steps:

2 – b3
#4 – 5
6 – b7

The has one augmented 2nd:

b3 – #4

Seeing connections with other scales will help you memorize this new scale more easily:

The Romanian Minor Scale is a Dorian scale with a raised 4th.
It is also the 4th mode of Harmonic minor.
What this means is that, when you play a harmonic minor scale starting from the 4th note, you are playing a Romanian Gypsy Scale.

The notes in G harmonic minor: G A Bb C D Eb F# G
Starting this from the 4th note, you get:
The C Romanian Gypsy Scale: C D Eb F# G A Bb C

Here’s C Romanian Gypsy mapped out on each string.

romanian-scale-linear

The Romanian Gypsy Chords

Triads

C Eb G = Cm
D F# A = D
Eb G Bb = Eb
F# A C = F#dim
G Bb D = Gm
A C Eb = Adim
Bb D F# = Bbaug

7th Chords

C Eb G Bb= Cm7
D F# A C = D7
Eb G Bb D = Ebmaj7
F# A C Eb = F#dim7
G Bb D F#= G-maj7
A C Eb G = Am7b5
Bb D F# A= Bb7#5

Some chord progressions

||: Cm | D | Gm | Cm :||

||: Cm | F#dim | Gm | Dm :||

||: Cm | Eb | D | Bb13 :||

Solo over any of the above chord progressions, 1 string at a time.
The better you get this down, the easier you will learn the in-position fingerings, which we’ll cover in the upcoming blog next week.

Here’s how it sounds like:

Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you would like me to send you backing tracks for any of the above chord progressions, if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.
You’re on your way to becoming a great guitar player.
Have fun! 🙂

Conclusion

Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.

These free lessons are cool, but you will never experience the progress, joy, and results that my students experience in lessons when you’re learning by yourself from blogs and videos.

That is why people take lessons: way better results and progress, much more complete information, exposed to way more creative ideas than you can get from a blog or YouTube video.
There is only so much that self-study can accomplish.

If you want to see amazing results and progress in your guitar playing, buy your first lesson here and get started ASAP.