About the A Vietnamese scale
A Vietnamese is used for Vietnamese-flavored and folk melodies. Think of it as a dark five-note scale with a minor third and flat sixth.
Its notes are A, C, D, E, and F. The formula is 1½ W W H 4 semitones.
In A Vietnamese, the open strings sound E, A, and D. The lowest A on a guitar is the open A string. A full root-to-root octave of this scale fits within the first three frets, so it has a real open-position box.
Positions
Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.
Pentatonic boxes
The five shapes blues and rock are built on, the first scale most guitarists ever solo with, one box per note up the neck.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | AA | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | CC | Minor 3rd |
| 3 | DD | Perfect 4th |
| 4 | EE | Perfect 5th |
| 5 | FF | Minor 6th |
| Steps | 1½ W W H 4 semitones |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 3-2-2-1-4 |
| Degrees | 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Vietnamese in other keys
Embed this scale
