dispelledHungarian Minor Scale
Hungarian minor is a harmonic minor scale with a raised fourth degree. Adding the augmented fourth to harmonic minor creates a scale with two augmented seconds — giving it an even more dramatic sound than regular harmonic minor. It's associated with Eastern European folk music, Romani (gypsy) musical traditions, and the playing of Franz Liszt and Django Reinhardt. The scale sounds like an amplified version of the exotic harmonic minor quality — more ornamental, more expressive, more vocal.
Construction
A harmonic minor: A B C D E F G# A
A Hungarian minor: A B C D# E F G# A
↑ raised 4th
Formula: 1 2 ♭3 #4 5 ♭6 7
Step pattern: W H A2 H H A2 H
Two augmented seconds (A2 = 3 semitones):
1st: between ♭3 and #4 (C → D# in A Hungarian minor)
2nd: between ♭6 and 7 (F → G# in A Hungarian minor)
Compare to harmonic minor (one A2): between ♭6 and 7 only.
Hungarian minor has both the ♭3 (darker quality) AND the #4 (Lydian lift).
Hungarian Minor in Common Keys
| Key | Notes | Aug. 2nds |
|---|---|---|
| A Hungarian minor | A B C D# E F G# | C→D# and F→G# |
| D Hungarian minor | D E F G# A B♭ C# | F→G# and B♭→C# |
| E Hungarian minor | E F# G A# B C D# | G→A# and C→D# |
| G Hungarian minor | G A B♭ C# D E♭ F# | B♭→C# and E♭→F# |
| B Hungarian minor | B C# D E# F# G A# | D→E# and G→A# |
Relation to Other Scales
| Scale (from A) | Notes | Aug. 2nds | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural minor (Aeolian) | A B C D E F G | None | Plain minor |
| Harmonic minor | A B C D E F G# | 1 (F→G#) | Classical cadence sound |
| Double harmonic | A B♭ C# D E F G# | 2 (B♭→C# and F→G#) | Byzantine — ♭2 and M3 |
| Hungarian minor | A B C D# E F G# | 2 (C→D# and F→G#) | Gypsy — ♭3 and #4 |
Hungarian minor and double harmonic both have two augmented seconds, but in different positions. Double harmonic has a ♭2 and a major 3rd; Hungarian minor has a ♭3 and a raised 4th (#4). Both are "doubly exotic" compared to harmonic minor, but with different flavours.
Sound and Character
Darker than harmonic minor, with the #4 adding a Lydian lift at the midpoint of the scale. The effect is lurching and ornamental — the two augmented second leaps give the scale its characteristic gypsy quality. In gypsy jazz (manouche), the style evolved from Romani music where this scale is native — it appears naturally in Django Reinhardt's improvisations and compositions. The "gypsy" quality is in the leaps, not just the pitches.
In Jazz and Guitar
Hungarian minor over a Im chord gives the most exotic possible minor colour. Over Am (or any minor tonic chord), the notes A B C D# E F G# provide:
A = root B = 9th (major 9th) C = ♭3 (minor quality confirmed) D# = #11 (Lydian Dominant-ish colour) E = 5th F = ♭6 (dark colour note) G# = major 7th (raised — leading tone back to A) The CmM7#11 chord (minor chord with major 7th and raised 11th) captures the harmonic essence of this scale.
In modern jazz contexts, using Hungarian minor over a minor tonic chord with a #11 extension sounds fresh and exotic. It's rarer than harmonic minor or Dorian, which is precisely why it stands out.
Franz Liszt and the Hungarian Rhapsodies
Liszt's 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies (1846–1885) are the most famous Western classical works built on this scale. Liszt drew on verbunkos — Hungarian Romani folk and dance music — which used this scale as a primary resource. The ornamental runs, the dramatic augmented second leaps, and the alternation between slow lyrical passages and fast technical fireworks in the Rhapsodies all reflect Hungarian minor's character. The scale connects Liszt directly to a living folk tradition.
References
- Levine — The Jazz Theory Book
- Nettl — Folk and Traditional Music of the Western Continents
- jazzguitar.be — Hungarian Minor Scale ↗