Chord Colors

E Oriental (Chinese) scale

About the E Oriental (Chinese) scale

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

E Oriental (Chinese) uses three black keys on the piano, G, B, and C.

Notes and intervals

1EERoot
2FFMinor 2nd
3G#G♯Major 3rd
4AAPerfect 4th
5BbB♭Diminished 5th
6C#C♯Major 6th
7DDMinor 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 EFG sharpAB flatC sharpDE
Right hand12312345
Left hand43214321

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