The Mystical Romanian Scale
- Written by Alfred Potter
- Read 6153 times
Try something new and check out the Romanian scale! The Romanian scale is actually the 4th mode of the harmonic minor scale. It has a rich and exotic sound when played and features the following intervals: Root, 2nd, minor 3rd, sharp 4th, 5th, 6th and flat 7th.
I think of it as a Dorian scale but with a sharpened 4th. And so when one improvises in the Romanian scale, I find that the journeying and slightly sad sound of the Dorian is expressed, plus that special and ethereal magic of the sharp 4th (often referred to as a flat 5th) which can be found in the Lydian mode (Made hugely popular by Steve Vai).
Here is the three-notes-per-string scale diagram:
And here are the notes from the neighbouring shapes for you to incorporate when comfortable:
Have a go!
Play over this jam track I made and put your new knowledge into practice!
Alfred Potter
Alfred Potter is a solo progressive metal lead guitarist. He has released two albums "Argonaut" and "Splendor of Sands" and sells a range of ebook PDF courses and instructional videos through his website www.AlfredPotter.com. He is endorsed by Kahler bridges and Hawk Picks.