STRINGSCALES

C♯ phrygian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E#, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10

A string: A, B, C#, D, E#, F#, G#, A at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12

D string: D, E#, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D at frets 0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

G string: G#, A, B, C#, D, E#, F# at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11

B string: B, C#, D, E#, F#, G#, A, B at frets 0, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

High E string: E#, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10

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C# phrygian dominant

The phrygian dominant scale, the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale, is phrygian with a major 3rd: flat 2nd, bright 3rd, and the augmented 2nd between them. It is the definitive flamenco and Middle Eastern guitar sound, and metal's favorite exotic mode. Over a dominant chord resolving to minor, or a static E-style vamp, it is unmistakable in one bar.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

C♯

I

C♯maj
D

bII

Dmaj
E♯

iii°

E♯dim
F♯

iv

F♯m
G♯

v°

G♯dim
A

bVI+

Aaug
B

bvii

Bm

Characteristic note: F (natural 3), the major third over a phrygian b2 that creates the Spanish sound.

Same notes, different mode

C# phrygian dominant uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

D lydian #9E# ultralocrianF# harmonic minorG# locrian 6A major augmentedB dorian #4

phrygian dominant in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Hold the major 3rd (F) against the flat 2nd (D): that augmented-2nd clash is the flamenco and klezmer sound; do not smooth it out.
  • Vamp C# major to the major chord on bII (D) and back; that two-chord Andalusian cadence is the scale's natural habitat.
  • Over a V7 chord resolving to minor, C# phrygian dominant is the classic choice; land on the 3rd of the target minor chord.
  • For metal, palm-mute the root and accent bII (D), III and bVI (A); the scale riffs itself.

How to play C♯ phrygian dominant on guitar

Capo the 1st fret, play C fingerings, and this key appears under your hands, which lets four sharps stay off the page. Open A, D and B are in the scale but arrive as sixth, second and seventh, so use them as passing tones rather than a pedal. Lowest root: fret 9, low E string. D to E# jumps an augmented second, meaning a three-fret reach between neighbouring scale tones.

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