STRINGSCALES

D phrygian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F#, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

A string: A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F#, G, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12

D string: D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb, C, D at frets 0, 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

G string: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F#, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12

B string: C, D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11

High E string: F#, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

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D 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:

D

I

Dmaj
E♭

bII

E♭maj
F♯

iii°

F♯dim
G

iv

Gm
A

v°

Adim
B♭

bVI+

B♭aug
C

bvii

Cm

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

Same notes, different mode

D 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.

Eb lydian #9F# ultralocrianG harmonic minorA locrian 6Bb major augmentedC dorian #4

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

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

How to play D phrygian dominant on guitar

Root, fourth and fifth all come open: D, G and A ring in the scale, so a three-string pedal sits under the whole key. Aside from the open D, the closest root is fret 3 on the B string, and the low E takes the lowest at fret 10. EbM is the bII, which puts a major chord one fret above the tonic. Gm handles iv and Cm the bvii.

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