Phrygian Dominant scale · 7 notes
C Phrygian dominant scale on guitar
The C 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.
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 8. 7th position: frets 7–11.
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 3 flats (D♭, A♭ and B♭). 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.
- ICC · E · GC7
- ♭IID♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭maj7
- iii°E°E · G · B♭E°7
- ivFmF · A♭ · CFm(maj7)
- v°G°G · B♭ · D♭Gm7♭5
- ♭VI+A♭+A♭ · C · EA♭+maj7
- ♭viiB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
Progressions to try
- C – D♭ I–♭II · flamenco vamp
- C – B♭m – 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) | 8 |
| B (2nd) | 1 |
| G (3rd) | 5 |
| D (4th) | 10 |
| A (5th) | 3 |
| Low E (6th) | 8 |
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 3 flats (D♭, A♭ and B♭).
What chords are in C Phrygian dominant?
Harmonising the C Phrygian dominant scale in thirds gives C (I), D♭ (♭II), E° (iii°), Fm (iv), G° (v°), A♭+ (♭VI+) and B♭m (♭vii).
Where do you play the C Phrygian dominant scale on guitar?
The root, C, is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 7–11, 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.