Guitar scale · exotic
E Ultraphrygian Scale
Mode 3 of Double Harmonic Major: Phrygian with a lowered 4th and a doubly flattened 7th (𝄫7).
Tap any note to hear it.
E Ultraphrygian 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|-----------------------------0-1-3-4-| B|-------------------------1-2---------| G|-------------------0-1-4-------------| D|---------------2-3-------------------| A|---------2-3-4-----------------------| E|-0-1-3-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------3-4-| B|-------------------------5-6-----| G|-------------------4-5-6---------| D|-----------2-3-5-6---------------| A|-----2-3-4-----------------------| E|-3-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-7-8-| B|-----------------------5-6-8-------| G|-----------------4-5-6-------------| D|-------------5-6-------------------| A|-------4-7-8-----------------------| E|-4-7-8-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-8-9-| B|------------------------------8-9-------| G|-------------------------9-10-----------| D|-----------------9-10-11----------------| A|-------7-8-10-11------------------------| E|-7-8-9----------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------9-12-13-| B|----------------------------------12-13---------| G|-----------------------9-10-12-13---------------| D|---------------9-10-11--------------------------| A|---------10-11----------------------------------| E|-9-12-13----------------------------------------|
How to play E Ultraphrygian 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 | Ab |
| 5 | B |
| ♭6 | C |
| 𝄫7 | Db |
Chords in E Ultraphrygian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Ultraphrygian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | — | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Fm | Fm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♭III | — | — | Mediant |
| ♭IV+ | Abaug | Abmaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♭VI | C | Cmaj7 | Submediant |
| VII | Db | Dbmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise E Ultraphrygian anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the E Ultraphrygian Scale?
- The E Ultraphrygian Scale has 7 notes: E, F, G, Ab, B, C, Db.
- What chords are in the E Ultraphrygian Scale?
- The chords of E Ultraphrygian are Em (i), Fm (♭ii), Abaug (♭IV+), C (♭VI), Db (VII).
- What is the formula of the ultraphrygian scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 5 ♭6 𝄫7, which is the step pattern H W H W+H H H W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play E Ultraphrygian 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.