Guitar scale · Spanish Phrygian
A Phrygian Dominant Scale
5th mode of Harmonic Minor. Mesmerizing oriental and flamenco solos for rock and metal.
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A Phrygian Dominant Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------5-6-9-| B|-------------------------6-8-------| G|-------------------6-7-9-----------| D|-------------5-7-8-----------------| A|-------5-7-8-----------------------| E|-5-6-9-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------9-10-| B|---------------------------8-10-11------| G|--------------------7-9-10--------------| D|-------------7-8-11---------------------| A|------7-8-10----------------------------| E|-9-10-----------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------9-10-12-13-| B|-----------------------------------10-11------------| G|---------------------------9-10-12------------------| D|---------------------11-12--------------------------| A|------------10-12-13--------------------------------| E|-9-10-12-13-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------14-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------12-13-16----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-18-| B|----------------------------------15-17-18----------| G|-------------------------14-15-18-------------------| D|----------------14-15-17----------------------------| A|----------16-17-------------------------------------| E|-15-17-18-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Phrygian Dominant on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| ♭2 | Bb |
| 3 | C# |
| 4 | D |
| 5 | E |
| ♭6 | F |
| ♭7 | G |
Chords in A Phrygian Dominant
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Phrygian Dominant; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | A | A7 | Tonic |
| ♭II | Bb | Bbmaj7 | Supertonic |
| iii° | C#dim | C#dim7 | Mediant |
| iv | Dm | Dm(maj7) | Subdominant |
| v° | Edim | Em7b5 | Dominant |
| ♭VI+ | Faug | Fmaj7#5 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Gm | Gm7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Phrygian Dominant Scale?
- The A Phrygian Dominant Scale has 7 notes: A, Bb, C#, D, E, F, G.
- What chords are in the A Phrygian Dominant Scale?
- The chords of A Phrygian Dominant are A (I), Bb (♭II), C#dim (iii°), Dm (iv), Edim (v°), Faug (♭VI+), Gm (♭vii).
- What is the formula of the phrygian dominant scale?
- 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W+H H W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Phrygian Dominant on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.