About the C sharp Iraq (Arabian) scale
C sharp Iraq (Arabian) is used for Middle Eastern flavored and experimental writing. Think of it as a dense maqam-flavored eight-note scale.
Its notes are C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B, and B♯. The formula is H W W H W W H H. It is the eighth mode of D Bebop Dominant.
The scale shares E, A, D, G, and B with the guitar's open strings. A guitarist finds the lowest C♯ at the 4th fret of the A string. With a capo at the first fret, C♯ Iraq (Arabian) can be played with C-shape fingerings.
Positions
Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.
8-position system
8 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | C#C♯ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | DD | Minor 2nd |
| 3 | EE | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | F#F♯ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | GG | Augmented 4th |
| 6 | AA | Minor 6th |
| 7 | BB | Minor 7th |
| 8 | B#B♯ | Major 7th |
| Steps | H W W H W W H H |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 1-2-2-1-2-2-1-1 |
| Degrees | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♯4 ♭6 ♭7 7 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Iraq (Arabian) in other keys
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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