D 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
- D 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
1Droot
b2Ebminor 2nd
3F#major 3rd
4Gperfect 4th
b5Abdim 5th
b6Bbminor 6th
7C#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
- DHEbWHF#HGHAbWBbWHC#
Chords by degree
Tensions & resolutions
Stable degrees
IDnominal centretonic
IIIF#defines modal qualitythird
Typical resolutions & tensions
VIIC#C#
IDD
In typical voice leading, the leading tone rises by semitone to tonic.
IIIF#F#
IVGG
In a dominant context, scale degree 4 normally descends by step to 3.
IDD
IIEbEb
Scale degree 2 may descend to tonic; the motion is especially close when degree 2 is lowered.
This scale on guitar 🎸
See how D 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.