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Guitar scale · exotic

Bb Persian Scale

1 ♭2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 7: double harmonic major with a lowered 5th. It contains the augmented 2nds of Double Harmonic Major.

Notes BbCbDEbFbGbA
Formula 1 ♭2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 7
Steps H W+H H H W W+H H
Mood Exotic, Dramatic, Intense
Heard in Middle Eastern-inspired Music

Interactive scale diagram

Bb Persian Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

Bb Persian Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 6–10
e|-------------------------------6-7-10-|
B|--------------------------7-10--------|
G|--------------------7-8-9-------------|
D|--------------7-8-9-------------------|
A|--------6-7-9-------------------------|
E|-6-7-10-------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 8–12
e|--------------------------------------10-11-12-|
B|-----------------------------10-11-12----------|
G|----------------------8-9-11-------------------|
D|---------------8-9-12--------------------------|
A|----------9-12---------------------------------|
E|-10-11-12--------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 10–14
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-12-14-|
B|-------------------------------------11-12-------------|
G|-------------------------------11-14-------------------|
D|----------------------12-13-14-------------------------|
A|-------------12-13-14----------------------------------|
E|-10-11-12-14-------------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 13–17
e|-------------------------------------------14-17-|
B|----------------------------------15-16-17-------|
G|-------------------------14-15-16----------------|
D|----------------13-14-16-------------------------|
A|-------13-14-17----------------------------------|
E|-14-17-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 15–19
e|-------------------------------------------17-18-19-|
B|----------------------------------16-17-19----------|
G|-------------------------15-16-19-------------------|
D|-------------------16-19----------------------------|
A|----------17-18-19----------------------------------|
E|-17-18-19-------------------------------------------|

How to play Bb Persian on guitar

Find the root first: Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Bb on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, ♭5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.

Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 6–10. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 Bb
♭2 Cb
3 D
4 Eb
♭5 Fb
♭6 Gb
7 A

Chords in Bb Persian

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Bb Persian; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
I — — Tonic
♭II Cb Cbmaj7 Supertonic
III — — Mediant
iv Ebm Ebm(maj7) Subdominant
♭V — — Dominant
♭VI+ Gbaug — Submediant
VII — — Leading tone / subtonic

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise Bb Persian anywhere, even offline.

This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.

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  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

One purchase

  • 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
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Questions

What notes are in the Bb Persian Scale?
The Bb Persian Scale has 7 notes: Bb, Cb, D, Eb, Fb, Gb, A.
What chords are in the Bb Persian Scale?
The chords of Bb Persian are Cb (♭II), Ebm (iv), Gbaug (♭VI+).
What is the formula of the persian scale?
1 ♭2 3 4 ♭5 ♭6 7, which is the step pattern H W+H H H W W+H H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play Bb Persian on the guitar?
The root Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 6–10, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Persian Scale in every key

More scales in Bb