A Persian scale
A major-based scale with lowered 2nd, 5th and 6th degrees; the diminished 5th increases instability.
Octaves
Musical context
How the scale relates to the chord, mode, key and progression.
Theory
General info
- Name
- A Persian scale
- Family
- Exotic scales
- Note count
- 7
- Step formula
- H – W+H – H – H – W – W+H – H
- Numeric formula
- 0-1-3-1-1-2-3-1
Notes & degrees
1Aroot
b2Bbminor 2nd
3C#major 3rd
4Dperfect 4th
b5Ebdim 5th
b6Fminor 6th
7G#major 7th
Construction
- Overview
- A major-based scale with lowered 2nd, 5th and 6th degrees; the diminished 5th increases instability.
- Application in music
- Lowered 2nd and 6th degrees tend toward tonic-chord tones, while the lowered 5th removes the tonic’s perfect 5th.
- Interval formula
- AHBbWHC#HDHEbWFWHG#
Chords by degree
Tensions & resolutions
Stable degrees
IAnominal centretonic
IIIC#defines modal qualitythird
Typical resolutions & tensions
VIIG#G#
IAA
In typical voice leading, the leading tone rises by semitone to tonic.
IIIC#C#
IVDD
In a dominant context, scale degree 4 normally descends by step to 3.
IAA
IIBbBb
Scale degree 2 may descend to tonic; the motion is especially close when degree 2 is lowered.
This scale on guitar 🎸
See how A Persian scale looks on guitar.
Circle of fifths
The major key on the same tonic and its neighbouring keys on the circle of fifths.
Connections
Practice
Keyboard Trainer
Reinforce it in practice — play and name notes on the interactive keyboard.