Phrygian Dominant scale · 7 notes
F Phrygian dominant scale on guitar
The F 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.
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 1. Open position: frets 0–4.
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 4 flats (G♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭). 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.
- IFF · A · CF7
- ♭IIG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭G♭maj7
- iii°A°A · C · E♭A°7
- ivB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m(maj7)
- v°C°C · E♭ · G♭Cm7♭5
- ♭VI+D♭+D♭ · F · AD♭+maj7
- ♭viiE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭E♭m7
Progressions to try
- F – G♭ I–♭II · flamenco vamp
- F – E♭m – 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) | 1 |
| B (2nd) | 6 |
| G (3rd) | 10 |
| D (4th) | 3 |
| A (5th) | 8 |
| Low E (6th) | 1 |
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 4 flats (G♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭).
What chords are in F Phrygian dominant?
Harmonising the F Phrygian dominant scale in thirds gives F (I), G♭ (♭II), A° (iii°), B♭m (iv), C° (v°), D♭+ (♭VI+) and E♭m (♭vii).
Where do you play the F Phrygian dominant scale on guitar?
The root, F, is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 0–4, 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.