What is a baritone guitar?

A baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length (typically 27"-30") tuned lower than standard guitar. The most common tuning is B Standard (B-E-A-D-F#-B), a perfect fourth lower than standard. It produces a deep, beefy tone that bridges the gap between guitar and bass.

What scales sound best on baritone guitar?

All scales work beautifully on baritone guitar, but minor scales (natural minor, harmonic minor, Dorian) particularly shine due to the instrument's dark character. Major scales and Mixolydian mode create a warm, country-influenced sound. Pentatonic scales deliver a thick, bluesy tone.

Is a baritone guitar good for songwriting?

Absolutely. The baritone guitar's unique voice inspires different melodic and harmonic ideas than standard guitar. Its deep, moody character is perfect for atmospheric songwriting, creating textures and voicings that feel fresh and distinctive.

A# Double Harmonic Major Guitar Scale

Guitar scale in Baritone (B Standard) tuning — fretboard diagram

Tuning

Frets

A# Double Harmonic Major in Baritone (B Standard) — Notes and Intervals

The A# Double Harmonic Major scale, commonly known as the Byzantine scale, is a perfectly balanced seven-note scale. On Guitar, it contains the notes A#, B, D, D#, F, F#, A. It offers an extreme exotic tension with two augmented seconds, used to create iconic surf-rock and Middle Eastern themes. Commonly used in Middle Eastern, Surf Rock, Metal, Film Scores. Notable players include Dick Dale, Rainbow, Marty Friedman. Use over major chords in Middle Eastern and surf rock contexts. The b2 and b6 add exotic color to an otherwise major framework.

Notes: A#, B, D, D#, F, F#, A

Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3M, 4P, 5P, 6m, 7M

Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7

Formula: H-WH-H-W-H-WH-H

Number of notes: 7

Tuning: Baritone (B Standard) (B-E-A-D-F#-B)

Also known as: gypsy

About Baritone (B Standard) Tuning

The baritone guitar is tuned a perfect fourth lower than standard guitar (B-E-A-D-F#-B), producing a distinctly beefy tone with serious low-end depth that sits perfectly between guitar and bass. Its rich, dark voice has made it a secret weapon in film scoring, ambient music, and moody songwriting where you need that unmistakable low-end warmth without losing clarity.

Unlike simply tuning a standard guitar down (which causes floppy strings and muddy tone), the baritone guitar uses a longer scale length (typically 27"-30") designed specifically for lower tunings. This gives each note clarity and definition even in the lowest register. Session musicians, film composers, and bedroom producers alike reach for the baritone when they need dark, atmospheric textures, doom-laden riffs, or simply a different sonic palette that standard guitar can't deliver.

Film ScoringAmbientPost-RockDoom MetalShoegazeCountrySurf

Notable artists: Pat Metheny, Nels Cline, Brian Setzer, Baritone session players in Nashville

Best for: Moody songwriting, film scoring, ambient textures, doom metal, and any production that needs low-end depth with clarity

Musical Character

ExoticIntenseBalancedEastern

Contains two augmented 2nd intervals placed symmetrically, giving it a perfectly balanced exotic tension. Dick Dale used it to create the iconic surf rock 'Misirlou' guitar tone.

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Baritone (B Standard) tuning