Phrygian Dominant scale · 7 notes
F♯ Phrygian dominant scale on guitar
The F♯ Phrygian dominant scale (F sharp Phrygian dominant scale) has 7 notes: F♯, G, A♯, B, C♯, D and E. Phrygian with a major 3rd: the flamenco and Middle-Eastern sound, and a metal staple. You may also see it written as G♭ Phrygian dominant, but F♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- F♯
- G
- A♯
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
Formula
1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W+H – H – W – H – W – W
Sound
Exotic, Spanish and Middle-Eastern
F♯ Phrygian dominant on the whole fretboard
Every F♯ Phrygian dominant note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, F♯, 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
F♯ at fret 2. 1st position: frets 1–5.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of F♯ Phrygian dominant as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from F♯, the F♯ Phrygian dominant scale is built from these intervals. It contains 3 sharps (F♯, A♯ and C♯). Compared with F♯ Phrygian, it has A♯ (3) instead of A.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | G | minor 2nd | 1 |
| 3 | A♯ | major 3rd | 4 |
| 4 | B | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | C♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | D | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | E | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in F♯ Phrygian dominant
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to F♯ Phrygian dominant: any of them will sound at home under a melody in F♯ Phrygian dominant.
- IF♯F♯ · A♯ · C♯F♯7
- ♭IIGG · B · DGmaj7
- iii°A♯°A♯ · C♯ · EA♯°7
- ivBmB · D · F♯Bm(maj7)
- v°C♯°C♯ · E · GC♯m7♭5
- ♭VI+D+D · F♯ · A♯D+maj7
- ♭viiEmE · G · BEm7
Progressions to try
- F♯ – G I–♭II · flamenco vamp
- F♯ – Em – G – F♯ I–♭vii–♭II–I
How to use F♯ 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.
- F♯ Phrygian dominant is the fifth mode of B harmonic minor: the same seven notes, starting from F♯. See B harmonic minor.
Where to find F♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every F♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with F♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 2 |
| B (2nd) | 7 |
| G (3rd) | 11 |
| D (4th) | 4 |
| A (5th) | 9 |
| Low E (6th) | 2 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as F♯ Phrygian dominant. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
F♯ Phrygian dominant scale FAQ
What notes are in the F♯ Phrygian dominant scale?
The F♯ Phrygian dominant scale has 7 notes: F♯, G, A♯, B, C♯, D and E. Its formula is 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 3 sharps (F♯, A♯ and C♯).
What chords are in F♯ Phrygian dominant?
Harmonising the F♯ Phrygian dominant scale in thirds gives F♯ (I), G (♭II), A♯° (iii°), Bm (iv), C♯° (v°), D+ (♭VI+) and Em (♭vii).
Where do you play the F♯ Phrygian dominant scale on guitar?
The root, F♯, is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 1–5, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as F♯ Phrygian dominant?
F♯ Phrygian dominant is the fifth mode of B harmonic minor: the same seven notes, starting from F♯.