Guitar scale · Spanish Phrygian
E Phrygian Dominant Scale
5th mode of Harmonic Minor. Mesmerizing oriental and flamenco solos for rock and metal.
Tap any note to hear it.
E 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|-----------------------------0-1-4-| B|-------------------------1-3-------| G|-------------------1-2-4-----------| D|-------------0-2-3-----------------| A|-------0-2-3-----------------------| E|-0-1-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-5-| B|-----------------------3-5-6-----| G|-----------------2-4-5-----------| D|-----------2-3-6-----------------| A|-----2-3-5-----------------------| E|-4-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-5-7-8-| B|-------------------------5-6---------| G|-------------------4-5-7-------------| D|---------------6-7-------------------| A|---------5-7-8-----------------------| E|-4-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-8-10-| B|-----------------------------9-10--------| G|----------------------7-9-10-------------| D|---------------7-9-10--------------------| A|--------7-8-11---------------------------| E|-7-8-10----------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|--------------------------------10-12-13----------| G|------------------------9-10-13-------------------| D|----------------9-10-12---------------------------| A|----------11-12-----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-----------------------------------------|
How to play E Phrygian Dominant on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E 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 0–4. 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 | E |
| ♭2 | F |
| 3 | G# |
| 4 | A |
| 5 | B |
| ♭6 | C |
| ♭7 | D |
Chords in E Phrygian Dominant
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Phrygian Dominant; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | E | E7 | Tonic |
| ♭II | F | Fmaj7 | Supertonic |
| iii° | G#dim | G#dim7 | Mediant |
| iv | Am | Am(maj7) | Subdominant |
| v° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Dominant |
| ♭VI+ | Caug | Cmaj7#5 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Dm | Dm7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Questions
- What notes are in the E Phrygian Dominant Scale?
- The E Phrygian Dominant Scale has 7 notes: E, F, G#, A, B, C, D.
- What chords are in the E Phrygian Dominant Scale?
- The chords of E Phrygian Dominant are E (I), F (♭II), G#dim (iii°), Am (iv), Bdim (v°), Caug (♭VI+), Dm (♭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 E Phrygian Dominant on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.