Guitar scale · Spanish Phrygian
C Phrygian Dominant Scale
5th mode of Harmonic Minor. Mesmerizing oriental and flamenco solos for rock and metal.
Tap any note to hear it.
C 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|-------------------------------------8-9-12-| B|--------------------------------9-11--------| G|------------------------9-10-12-------------| D|----------------8-10-11---------------------| A|--------8-10-11-----------------------------| E|-8-9-12-------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-| B|----------------------------------11-13-14-------| G|-------------------------10-12-13----------------| D|----------------10-11-14-------------------------| A|-------10-11-13----------------------------------| E|-12-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-16-| B|-------------------------------------13-14-------------| G|----------------------------12-13-15-------------------| D|----------------------14-15----------------------------| A|-------------13-15-16----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-16-18-| B|-------------------------------------17-18----------| G|----------------------------15-17-18----------------| D|-------------------15-17-18-------------------------| A|----------15-16-19----------------------------------| E|-15-16-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-20-21-| B|----------------------------------18-20-21----------| G|-------------------------17-18-21-------------------| D|----------------17-18-20----------------------------| A|----------19-20-------------------------------------| E|-18-20-21-------------------------------------------|
How to play C Phrygian Dominant on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C 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 8–12. 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 | C |
| ♭2 | Db |
| 3 | E |
| 4 | F |
| 5 | G |
| ♭6 | Ab |
| ♭7 | Bb |
Chords in C Phrygian Dominant
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C Phrygian Dominant; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | C7 | Tonic |
| ♭II | Db | Dbmaj7 | Supertonic |
| iii° | Edim | Edim7 | Mediant |
| iv | Fm | Fm(maj7) | Subdominant |
| v° | Gdim | Gm7b5 | Dominant |
| ♭VI+ | Abaug | Abmaj7#5 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Bbm | Bbm7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Questions
- What notes are in the C Phrygian Dominant Scale?
- The C Phrygian Dominant Scale has 7 notes: C, Db, E, F, G, Ab, Bb.
- What chords are in the C Phrygian Dominant Scale?
- The chords of C Phrygian Dominant are C (I), Db (♭II), Edim (iii°), Fm (iv), Gdim (v°), Abaug (♭VI+), Bbm (♭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 C Phrygian Dominant on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.