G#/Ab Nahawand (Maqam) Banjo Scale, Chords & Progressions

The G#/Ab Nahawand (Maqam) scale on banjo (G sharp / A flat nahawand (maqam)): scale shapes, chords and progressions, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes going up: G# A# B C# D# E G

Notes coming down: G# Gb E D# C# B A#

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Scales

Scale shapes

3NPS - Fifth Position

D|--5---6---8-|
B|--2---4---5-|
G|--1---3---4-|
D|--1---2---5-|
G|--6---8-----|

Coming down

D|--4---6---8-|
B|--2---4---5-|
G|--1---3---4-|
D|--1---2---4-|
G|------------|

3NPS - Sixth Position

D|--6---8---9-|
B|--4---5---8-|
G|--3---4---6-|
D|--2---5---6-|
G|--6---8---9-|

Coming down

D|--6---8---9-|
B|--4---5---7-|
G|--3---4---6-|
D|--2---4---6-|
G|------------|

3NPS - Seventh Position

D|--8---9--11-----|
B|--5---8---9-----|
G|--4---6---8-----|
D|--5---6---8-----|
G|--6---8---9--11-|

Coming down

D|--8---9--11-|
B|--5---7---9-|
G|--4---6---8-|
D|--6---8-----|
G|------------|

Exercises

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m	G# B D#	`6 6 4 4 6`
II	A#dim	A# C# E	`x x x 2 2`
II	A#dim	A# C# E	`x x 3 2 2`
II	A#dim	A# C# E	`x 2 3 2 2`
II	A#dim	A# C# E	`x 2 3 2 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`x x 0 0 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`0 1 0 0 1`
III	Baug	B D# G	`0 1 0 0 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`x 1 0 0 1`
IV	C#m	C# E G#	`11 11 9 9 11`
V	D#	D# G A#	`8 8 8 8 8`
VI	E	E G# B	`9 9 9 9 9`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`x x 0 2 x`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`x x 3 2 x`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`0 5 3 2 5`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`0 5 3 2 x`

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 0 0 1`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 1 0 1`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 0 0 x`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 1 0 x`
II	A#m7b5	A# C# E G#	`x 2 1 2 2`
II	A#m7b5	A# C# E G#	`x 2 1 2 x`
II	A#m7b5	A# C# E G#	`x x 1 2 2`
II	A#m7b5	A# C# E G#	`6 2 1 2 2`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`0 1 3 0 1`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`0 1 3 0 x`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`x 1 3 0 1`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`0 1 3 x x`
IV	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 2 1 0 2`
IV	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 2 1 0 x`
IV	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x x 1 0 2`
IV	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 2 4 2 2`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`0 1 0 2 1`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`0 1 0 2 x`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`x 1 0 2 1`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`x 1 0 2 x`
VI	Emaj7	E G# B D#	`x x 1 0 1`
VI	Emaj7	E G# B D#	`x 1 1 0 1`
VI	Emaj7	E G# B D#	`x 1 1 0 x`
VI	Emaj7	E G# B D#	`x 2 1 0 1`
VII	Gdim7	G A# C# E	`x x 0 2 2`
VII	Gdim7	G A# C# E	`0 2 0 2 2`
VII	Gdim7	G A# C# E	`0 2 0 2 x`
VII	Gdim7	G A# C# E	`x 2 0 2 2`

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`0 1 3 0 1`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`0 1 3 0 x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`0 1 3 x x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`x 1 3 0 x`
II	A#m7b5b9	A# C# E G# B	`x 2 1 0 x`
II	A#m7b5b9	A# C# E G# B	`x x 1 0 2`
II	A#m7b5b9	A# C# E G# B	`x x 3 0 2`
II	A#m7b5b9	A# C# E G# B	`x 2 3 0 x`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`x 1 0 2 x`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`x x 0 2 1`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`0 1 3 2 1`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`0 1 3 2 x`
IV	C#m9	C# E G# B D#	`x x 1 0 1`
IV	C#m9	C# E G# B D#	`x 1 1 0 x`
IV	C#m9	C# E G# B D#	`x 2 1 0 1`
IV	C#m9	C# E G# B D#	`x 1 1 0 2`
V	D#7b9	D# G A# C# E	`0 1 0 2 2`
V	D#7b9	D# G A# C# E	`x 1 0 2 2`
V	D#7b9	D# G A# C# E	`x x 0 2 2`
V	D#7b9	D# G A# C# E	`0 2 0 2 1`
VI	Emaj7#9	E G# B D# G	`0 1 1 0 1`
VI	Emaj7#9	E G# B D# G	`0 1 1 0 x`
VI	Emaj7#9	E G# B D# G	`0 1 1 x x`
VI	Emaj7#9	E G# B D# G	`x 1 0 0 x`
VII	Gdim7(b9)	G A# C# E G#	`0 2 1 2 2`
VII	Gdim7(b9)	G A# C# E G#	`0 2 1 2 x`
VII	Gdim7(b9)	G A# C# E G#	`0 2 1 x x`
VII	Gdim7(b9)	G A# C# E G#	`x 2 1 2 x`

Progressions

Forward Roll

Chords: G#m – A#dim – Baug – C#m – D# – E – Gdim

D|6---6-----------6-----------6---|2---2-----------2-----------2---|
B|4-----------4-----------4-------|2-----------2-----------2-------|
G|4-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|6-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|6-------6-----------6-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|

D|--------------------------------|11--11----------11----------11--|
B|0-----------0-----------0-------|9-----------9-----------9-------|
G|0-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|11------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|11------11----------11----------|

D|8---8-----------8-----------8---|9---9-----------9-----------9---|
B|8-----------8-----------8-------|9-----------9-----------9-------|
G|8-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
D|8-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
G|8-------8-----------8-----------|9-------9-----------9-----------|

D|--------------------------------|
B|2-----------2-----------2-------|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|

Backward Roll

Chords: G#m – A#dim – Baug – C#m – D# – E – Gdim

D|6-----------6-----------6-------|2-----------2-----------2-------|
B|4---4-----------4-----------4---|2---2-----------2-----------2---|
G|4-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|6-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|6-------6-----------6-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|

D|--------------------------------|11----------11----------11------|
B|0---0-----------0-----------0---|9---9-----------9-----------9---|
G|0-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|11------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|11------11----------11----------|

D|8-----------8-----------8-------|9-----------9-----------9-------|
B|8---8-----------8-----------8---|9---9-----------9-----------9---|
G|8-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
D|8-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
G|8-------8-----------8-----------|9-------9-----------9-----------|

D|--------------------------------|
B|2---2-----------2-----------2---|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|

Forward-Reverse Roll

Chords: G#m – A#dim – Baug – C#m – D# – E – Gdim

D|6-------6-------6-----------6---|2-------2-------2-----------2---|
B|4---4---------------4-----------|2---2---------------2-----------|
G|4-----------------------4-------|--------------------------------|
D|6-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|6-----------6-------------------|------------0-------------------|

D|--------------------------------|11------11------11----------11--|
B|0---0---------------0-----------|9---9---------------9-----------|
G|0-----------------------0-------|9-----------------------9-------|
D|--------------------------------|11------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|11----------11------------------|

D|8-------8-------8-----------8---|9-------9-------9-----------9---|
B|8---8---------------8-----------|9---9---------------9-----------|
G|8-----------------------8-------|9-----------------------9-------|
D|8-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
G|8-----------8-------------------|9-----------9-------------------|

D|--------------------------------|
B|2---2---------------2-----------|
G|0-----------------------0-------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|

Alternating Thumb Roll

Chords: G#m – A#dim – Baug – C#m – D# – E – Gdim

D|6-----------6---------------6---|2-----------2---------------2---|
B|4---4---------------4-----------|2---2---------------2-----------|
G|4-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|6---------------6---------------|--------------------------------|
G|6-------6---------------6-------|--------0---------------0-------|

D|--------------------------------|11----------11--------------11--|
B|0---0---------------0-----------|9---9---------------9-----------|
G|0-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|11--------------11--------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|11------11--------------11------|

D|8-----------8---------------8---|9-----------9---------------9---|
B|8---8---------------8-----------|9---9---------------9-----------|
G|8-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
D|8---------------8---------------|9---------------9---------------|
G|8-------8---------------8-------|9-------9---------------9-------|

D|--------------------------------|
B|2---2---------------2-----------|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|

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