Chord Colors

E Iraq (Arabian) scale

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About the E Iraq (Arabian) scale

E 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 E, F, G, A, A, C, D, and D. The formula is H W W H W W H H. It is the eighth mode of F Bebop Dominant.

Learn more about the E Iraq (Arabian) scale

The open-string notes E, A, D, and G all sit inside the mode. The open low E string is the lowest E on the neck. E Iraq (Arabian) sits in true open position, with a complete octave of the scale inside the first three frets.

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.

Position 1open
Position 2fr 1
Position 3fr 3
Position 4fr 5
Position 5fr 6
Position 6fr 8
Position 7fr 10
Position 8fr 11

Notes and intervals

1EERoot
2FFMinor 2nd
3GGMinor 3rd
4AAPerfect 4th
5A#A♯Augmented 4th
6CCMinor 6th
7DDMinor 7th
8D#D♯Major 7th
StepsH W W H W W H H
Semitones1-2-2-1-2-2-1-1
Degrees1 2 3 4 4 6 7 7

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

Iraq (Arabian) in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

Embed this scale

Paste the snippet into a lesson page, a blog or a forum post. The card links back here.

E Iraq (Arabian) scale on guitar shown as colored note dots
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