Chord Colors

C♯ Oriental (Chinese) scale

About the C sharp Oriental (Chinese) scale

C sharp Oriental (Chinese) is used for Middle Eastern flavored and cinematic melodies. Think of it as an exotic dominant scale with a flat second and flat fifth.

Its notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The formula is H 1½ H H 1½ H W. It is the fifth mode of F Double Harmonic Major.

C Oriental (Chinese) draws three black keys from the piano, C, F, and A.

Notes and intervals

1C#C♯Root
2DDMinor 2nd
3E#E♯Major 3rd
4F#F♯Perfect 4th
5GGDiminished 5th
6A#A♯Major 6th
7BBMinor 7th
StepsH 1½ H H 1½ H W
Semitones1-3-1-1-3-1-2
Degrees1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Fingering

Suggested fingering, follows standard fingering rules

Hand C sharpDE sharpF sharpGA sharpBC sharp
Right hand41231234
Left hand32143213

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Oriental (Chinese) in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

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Db Oriental (Chinese) scale on piano shown as colored note dots
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