Phrygian Dominant scale · 7 notes
C♯ Phrygian dominant scale on guitar
The C♯ Phrygian dominant scale (C sharp Phrygian dominant scale) has 7 notes: C♯, D, E♯, F♯, G♯, A and B. Phrygian with a major 3rd: the flamenco and Middle-Eastern sound, and a metal staple. You may also see it written as D♭ Phrygian dominant, but C♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- C♯
- D
- E♯
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
Formula
1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W+H – H – W – H – W – W
Sound
Exotic, Spanish and Middle-Eastern
C♯ Phrygian dominant on the whole fretboard
Every C♯ Phrygian dominant note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C♯, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
C♯ at fret 9. 8th position: frets 8–12.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C♯ Phrygian dominant as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C♯, the C♯ Phrygian dominant scale is built from these intervals. It contains 4 sharps (C♯, E♯, F♯ and G♯). Compared with C♯ Phrygian, it has E♯ (3) instead of E.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | D | minor 2nd | 1 |
| 3 | E♯ | major 3rd | 4 |
| 4 | F♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | A | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | B | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in C♯ Phrygian dominant
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to C♯ Phrygian dominant: any of them will sound at home under a melody in C♯ Phrygian dominant.
- IC♯C♯ · E♯ · G♯C♯7
- ♭IIDD · F♯ · ADmaj7
- iii°E♯°E♯ · G♯ · BE♯°7
- ivF♯mF♯ · A · C♯F♯m(maj7)
- v°G♯°G♯ · B · DG♯m7♭5
- ♭VI+A+A · C♯ · E♯A+maj7
- ♭viiBmB · D · F♯Bm7
Progressions to try
- C♯ – D I–♭II · flamenco vamp
- C♯ – Bm – D – C♯ I–♭vii–♭II–I
How to use C♯ Phrygian dominant
Reach for it over the V7 chord of a minor key, flamenco, metal and Middle-Eastern-flavoured melodies. Its sound is exotic, Spanish and Middle-Eastern.
Tip: Over the V7 in a minor key (E7 in A minor), E Phrygian dominant uses exactly the notes of A harmonic minor.
- C♯ Phrygian dominant is the fifth mode of F♯ harmonic minor: the same seven notes, starting from C♯. See F♯ harmonic minor.
Where to find C♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 9 |
| B (2nd) | 2 |
| G (3rd) | 6 |
| D (4th) | 11 |
| A (5th) | 4 |
| Low E (6th) | 9 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C♯ Phrygian dominant. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C♯ Phrygian dominant scale FAQ
What notes are in the C♯ Phrygian dominant scale?
The C♯ Phrygian dominant scale has 7 notes: C♯, D, E♯, F♯, G♯, A and B. Its formula is 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 4 sharps (C♯, E♯, F♯ and G♯).
What chords are in C♯ Phrygian dominant?
Harmonising the C♯ Phrygian dominant scale in thirds gives C♯ (I), D (♭II), E♯° (iii°), F♯m (iv), G♯° (v°), A+ (♭VI+) and Bm (♭vii).
Where do you play the C♯ Phrygian dominant scale on guitar?
The root, C♯, is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 8–12, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as C♯ Phrygian dominant?
C♯ Phrygian dominant is the fifth mode of F♯ harmonic minor: the same seven notes, starting from C♯.