A#/Bb Asavari (Raga) Banjo Scale, Chords & Progressions

The A#/Bb Asavari (Raga) scale on banjo (A sharp / B flat asavari (raga)): scale shapes, chords and progressions, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes going up: Bb C Eb F Gb

Notes coming down: Bb Ab Gb F Eb Db C

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Scales

Scale shapes

3NPS - Third Position

D|-10--13--15-----|
B|--6---7--11-----|
G|--3---5---8-----|
D|--1---3---4-----|
G|--8--10--13--15-|

Coming down

D|-10--11--13--15-|
B|--6---7---9--11-|
G|--3---5---6---8-|
D|--1---3---4---6-|
G|----------------|

3NPS - Fourth Position

D|-13--15--16---------|
B|--7--11--13---------|
G|--5---8--10---------|
D|--3---4---8---------|
G|--8--10--13--15--16-|

Coming down

D|-13--15--16---------|
B|--7---9--11--13--14-|
G|--5---6---8--10-----|
D|--3---4---6---8-----|
G|--------------------|

3NPS - Fifth Position

D|-15--16--20-------------|
B|-11--13--16-------------|
G|--8--10--11-------------|
D|--4---8--10-------------|
G|--8--10--13--15--16--20-|

Coming down

D|-15--16--18--20-----|
B|-11--13--14--16-----|
G|--8--10--11--13-----|
D|--4---6---8--10--11-|
G|--------------------|

Exercises

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Bbm	Bb Db F	`8 8 6 6 8`
II	Cdim	C Eb Gb	`x x x 1 4`
II	Cdim	C Eb Gb	`x x x 4 4`
II	Cdim	C Eb Gb	`x 1 5 1 4`
II	Cdim	C Eb Gb	`x 1 5 4 4`
III	Db	Db F Ab	`6 6 6 6 6`
IV	Ebm	Eb Gb Bb	`13 13 11 11 13`
V	Fm	F Ab C	`x x 1 1 x`
V	Fm	F Ab C	`x 3 1 1 3`
V	Fm	F Ab C	`x 3 1 1 x`
V	Fm	F Ab C	`x x 1 1 3`
VI	Gb	Gb Bb Db	`11 11 11 11 11`
VII	Ab	Ab C Eb	`x x 1 1 1`
VII	Ab	Ab C Eb	`x x x 1 1`
VII	Ab	Ab C Eb	`x 1 1 1 1`
VII	Ab	Ab C Eb	`x 1 1 1 x`

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Bbm7	Bb Db F Ab	`x 3 1 2 3`
I	Bbm7	Bb Db F Ab	`x 3 1 2 x`
I	Bbm7	Bb Db F Ab	`x x 1 2 3`
I	Bbm7	Bb Db F Ab	`6 3 1 2 3`
II	Cm7b5	C Eb Gb Bb	`x 1 3 1 1`
II	Cm7b5	C Eb Gb Bb	`x 1 3 1 x`
II	Cm7b5	C Eb Gb Bb	`x x 3 1 1`
II	Cm7b5	C Eb Gb Bb	`x 1 3 1 4`
III	Dbmaj7	Db F Ab C	`x 3 1 1 3`
III	Dbmaj7	Db F Ab C	`x 3 1 1 x`
III	Dbmaj7	Db F Ab C	`x x 1 1 3`
III	Dbmaj7	Db F Ab C	`x 3 5 2 3`
IV	Ebm7	Eb Gb Bb Db	`x 1 3 2 1`
IV	Ebm7	Eb Gb Bb Db	`x 1 3 2 x`
IV	Ebm7	Eb Gb Bb Db	`x x 3 2 1`
IV	Ebm7	Eb Gb Bb Db	`x 1 3 2 4`
V	Fm7	F Ab C Eb	`x x 1 1 1`
V	Fm7	F Ab C Eb	`x 1 1 1 1`
V	Fm7	F Ab C Eb	`x 1 1 1 x`
V	Fm7	F Ab C Eb	`x 3 1 1 1`
VI	Gbmaj7	Gb Bb Db F	`x x 3 2 3`
VI	Gbmaj7	Gb Bb Db F	`x 3 3 2 3`
VI	Gbmaj7	Gb Bb Db F	`x 3 3 2 x`
VI	Gbmaj7	Gb Bb Db F	`x 4 3 2 3`
VII	Ab7	Ab C Eb Gb	`x x 1 1 4`
VII	Ab7	Ab C Eb Gb	`x x 1 4 4`
VII	Ab7	Ab C Eb Gb	`x 1 1 1 4`
VII	Ab7	Ab C Eb Gb	`x 1 1 4 4`

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Bbm9	Bb Db F Ab C	`x x 3 1 3`
I	Bbm9	Bb Db F Ab C	`x 3 1 1 x`
I	Bbm9	Bb Db F Ab C	`x 3 3 1 x`
I	Bbm9	Bb Db F Ab C	`x x 1 1 3`
II	Cm7b5b9	C Eb Gb Bb Db	`x 1 3 2 x`
II	Cm7b5b9	C Eb Gb Bb Db	`x x 3 2 1`
II	Cm7b5b9	C Eb Gb Bb Db	`x 1 3 2 4`
II	Cm7b5b9	C Eb Gb Bb Db	`x 4 3 2 1`
III	Dbmaj9	Db F Ab C Eb	`x x 1 1 1`
III	Dbmaj9	Db F Ab C Eb	`x 1 1 1 x`
III	Dbmaj9	Db F Ab C Eb	`x x 1 2 1`
III	Dbmaj9	Db F Ab C Eb	`x 1 1 2 x`
IV	Ebm9	Eb Gb Bb Db F	`x 1 3 2 3`
IV	Ebm9	Eb Gb Bb Db F	`x 3 3 2 1`
IV	Ebm9	Eb Gb Bb Db F	`x x 3 2 3`
IV	Ebm9	Eb Gb Bb Db F	`x 3 3 2 x`
V	Fm7b9	F Ab C Eb Gb	`x 3 1 4 4`
V	Fm7b9	F Ab C Eb Gb	`x x 1 1 4`
V	Fm7b9	F Ab C Eb Gb	`x x 1 4 4`
V	Fm7b9	F Ab C Eb Gb	`x 1 1 1 4`
VI	Gbmaj9	Gb Bb Db F Ab	`x 3 1 2 x`
VI	Gbmaj9	Gb Bb Db F Ab	`x x 1 2 3`
VI	Gbmaj9	Gb Bb Db F Ab	`x 4 1 2 3`
VI	Gbmaj9	Gb Bb Db F Ab	`x 4 1 2 x`
VII	Ab9	Ab C Eb Gb Bb	`x 1 3 1 x`
VII	Ab9	Ab C Eb Gb Bb	`x x 3 1 1`
VII	Ab9	Ab C Eb Gb Bb	`x 1 3 1 4`
VII	Ab9	Ab C Eb Gb Bb	`x 4 3 1 1`

Progressions

Forward Roll

Chords: Bbm – Cdim – Db – Ebm – Fm – Gb – Ab

D|8---8-----------8-----------8---|4---4-----------4-----------4---|
B|6-----------6-----------6-------|1-----------1-----------1-------|
G|6-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|8-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|8-------8-----------8-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|

D|6---6-----------6-----------6---|13--13----------13----------13--|
B|6-----------6-----------6-------|11----------11----------11------|
G|6-------------------------------|11------------------------------|
D|6-------------------------------|13------------------------------|
G|6-------6-----------6-----------|13------13----------13----------|

D|--------------------------------|11--11----------11----------11--|
B|1-----------1-----------1-------|11----------11----------11------|
G|1-------------------------------|11------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|11------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|11------11----------11----------|

D|1---1-----------1-----------1---|
B|1-----------1-----------1-------|
G|1-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|

Backward Roll

Chords: Bbm – Cdim – Db – Ebm – Fm – Gb – Ab

D|8-----------8-----------8-------|4-----------4-----------4-------|
B|6---6-----------6-----------6---|1---1-----------1-----------1---|
G|6-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|8-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|8-------8-----------8-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|

D|6-----------6-----------6-------|13----------13----------13------|
B|6---6-----------6-----------6---|11--11----------11----------11--|
G|6-------------------------------|11------------------------------|
D|6-------------------------------|13------------------------------|
G|6-------6-----------6-----------|13------13----------13----------|

D|--------------------------------|11----------11----------11------|
B|1---1-----------1-----------1---|11--11----------11----------11--|
G|1-------------------------------|11------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|11------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|11------11----------11----------|

D|1-----------1-----------1-------|
B|1---1-----------1-----------1---|
G|1-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|

Forward-Reverse Roll

Chords: Bbm – Cdim – Db – Ebm – Fm – Gb – Ab

D|8-------8-------8-----------8---|4-------4-------4-----------4---|
B|6---6---------------6-----------|1---1---------------1-----------|
G|6-----------------------6-------|--------------------------------|
D|8-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|8-----------8-------------------|------------0-------------------|

D|6-------6-------6-----------6---|13------13------13----------13--|
B|6---6---------------6-----------|11--11--------------11----------|
G|6-----------------------6-------|11----------------------11------|
D|6-------------------------------|13------------------------------|
G|6-----------6-------------------|13----------13------------------|

D|--------------------------------|11------11------11----------11--|
B|1---1---------------1-----------|11--11--------------11----------|
G|1-----------------------1-------|11----------------------11------|
D|--------------------------------|11------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|11----------11------------------|

D|1-------1-------1-----------1---|
B|1---1---------------1-----------|
G|1-----------------------1-------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|

Alternating Thumb Roll

Chords: Bbm – Cdim – Db – Ebm – Fm – Gb – Ab

D|8-----------8---------------8---|4-----------4---------------4---|
B|6---6---------------6-----------|1---1---------------1-----------|
G|6-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|8---------------8---------------|--------------------------------|
G|8-------8---------------8-------|--------0---------------0-------|

D|6-----------6---------------6---|13----------13--------------13--|
B|6---6---------------6-----------|11--11--------------11----------|
G|6-------------------------------|11------------------------------|
D|6---------------6---------------|13--------------13--------------|
G|6-------6---------------6-------|13------13--------------13------|

D|--------------------------------|11----------11--------------11--|
B|1---1---------------1-----------|11--11--------------11----------|
G|1-------------------------------|11------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|11--------------11--------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|11------11--------------11------|

D|1-----------1---------------1---|
B|1---1---------------1-----------|
G|1-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|

All banjo lessons · The Guitar Scales