Hungarian Minor vs the Gypsy Scale: Same Thing or Not?

“Gypsy scale” and “Hungarian scale” both name a dramatic, exotic, far-away sound. Online they are often described as the same scale, but they are actually different. They use different notes, and the wide leap that gives each its distinctive color — the augmented second (a three-semitone jump between neighboring scale steps) — sits in a different place. This article helps you hear the difference.

Hear it first

It is faster to hear them side by side than to read about them. Use the player above: first the Hungarian minor (C D Eb F# G Ab B), then the Spanish Gypsy (C Db E F G Ab Bb). Both are exotic, but the spot where the line “leaps” with tension is in a different place. Then play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in Hungarian minor and hear a familiar tune turn suddenly dramatic.

You can also check it in the Scale Dictionary.

1. Open the Scale Dictionary
2. Set the root to C, choose “Hungarian minor,” and trace the keyboard
3. Now switch the scale to “Spanish Gypsy (Phrygian dominant)” on the same root
4. Notice where the wide leap (the augmented second) has moved, by ear and by eye

What these two scales really are

The key difference is where the augmented second sits. An augmented second is a three-semitone gap between neighboring scale steps — that wide, leaping interval is the source of the exotic sound.

Hungarian minor (built on C)

• Notes: C D Eb F# G Ab B (1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7)
• It is a harmonic minor with a raised 4th (the harmonic minor raises the 7th; this scale raises the 4th too)
• It has two augmented seconds: Eb→F# (b3→#4) and Ab→B (b6→7)
• Those two leaps give the rich color associated with Hungarian and Romanian folk music (see Hungarian minor scale on Wikipedia)

Spanish Gypsy (built on C)

• Notes: C Db E F G Ab Bb (1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7)
• This is the same as the Phrygian dominant (Phrygian major) scale — it matches starting the harmonic minor from its 5th degree
• It has only one augmented second: Db→E (b2→3)
• The dark b2 and the leap right after it create the flamenco-flavored sound (see Phrygian dominant scale on Wikipedia)

So Hungarian minor leaps in two places, lower in the scale, while the Spanish Gypsy leaps once, right at the start. Both have seven notes, but the number and position of the leaps differ, so the impression is clearly different.

A note on the name “Gypsy scale”

A quick word on the terminology. “Gypsy” refers to the Roma people and is now often considered a slur. The names “Gypsy scale” and “Hungarian scale” are romantic European labels from the 19th century, not a single authentic “Roma scale” — real Roma music varies widely by region and style. This article uses these as common names for distinguishing scale structures, but it is worth knowing they are historical labels that project a sense of the exotic.

Where you hear it

Hungarian minor carries an Eastern European folk color, as the name suggests, and turns up in “Hungarian-style” classical works such as Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies, and in film and game scores that borrow that flavor. The Spanish Gypsy scale (Phrygian dominant), by contrast, is a staple of flamenco guitar and of neoclassical metal guitar solos. When a tune strikes you as exotic or Middle-Eastern, listen for where the augmented second leaps — that tells you which scale you are hearing.

For composing: an exotic color, fast

When you want to add a far-away or dramatic feel to an original tune, these two are powerful shortcuts.

• Want a rich Eastern European folk color → Hungarian minor (two augmented seconds, more intense)
• Want a flamenco or Middle-Eastern color → Spanish Gypsy (the b2 and the opening leap do the work)
• Convert a melody you know into each scale and feel how the skeleton changes

For listening: hearing the augmented second

The source of an exotic feel is usually the leap of the augmented second. When a line suddenly jumps with tension, note where it happens: lower in the scale (b3→#4) points to Hungarian minor, while a leap near the start (b2→3) points to the Gypsy scale. Train your ear on the number and position of the augmented seconds, and you can tell these two look-alike scales apart yourself.

What to try next

In the Scale Dictionary, alternate between Hungarian minor and Spanish Gypsy on the same root and follow the leaping spot (the augmented second) as it moves. Then play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in Hungarian minor and hear how much its two augmented seconds dramatize a familiar tune. You will feel how a single wide leap — the augmented second — decides a scale’s character.

→ Compare the Hungarian and Gypsy scales in the Scale Dictionary