5 positions with TAB. The exotic Spanish, flamenco, and metal scale with a major 3rd and flat 2nd.
The raised 3rd creates a dominant 7 chord on the tonic (E7 instead of Em), and the gap from F to G# is an augmented 2nd (3 semitones). That exotic leap is the defining sound of flamenco, klezmer, and Middle Eastern music.
The augmented 2nd is the 3-semitone interval between the flat 2nd (b2) and the major 3rd (3). In E Phrygian Dominant:
Positions 1 and 4 shown for E Phrygian Dominant (open position and octave). Positions 2, 3, 5 shown for A Phrygian Dominant (root at fret 5). Root in orange, b2 in yellow, major 3rd in pink, other notes in green.
The b2 and maj3 together form the augmented 2nd - look for them adjacent on each string.
The classic E Phrygian Dominant open position. Root on open low E string. The b2 (F) is at fret 1, and the major 3rd (G#) is at fret 4 -- that 3-fret jump from F to G# on the low E string is the augmented 2nd, the defining exotic leap.
Key signature notes: b2 (F) at fret 1 low E; maj3 (G#) at fret 4 -- the aug 2nd leap
Root on A string at fret 5 (E). The b2 (F) appears at fret 6 on A, and the major 3rd (G#) jumps to fret 9 -- the augmented 2nd spanning 3 frets from fret 6 to fret 9. This is a great position for lead runs and arpeggios.
Key signature notes: b2 (F) at fret 6 A string; maj3 (G#) at fret 9 A string
Root on D string at fret 7 (A -- works for A Phrygian Dominant, shown here for A Phryg Dom). The b2 (Bb) is at fret 8, and the major 3rd (C#) is at fret 11. The 3-fret augmented 2nd spread shows clearly on the D string.
Key signature notes: b2 at fret 8 D string; maj3 at fret 11 D string (aug 2nd)
Root on low E at fret 12 (octave E). Same as Position 1 shifted up one octave. The b2 (F) at fret 13, major 3rd (G#) at fret 16. Use for high-neck metal leads and flamenco picado runs up the neck.
Key signature notes: b2 (F) at fret 13 low E; maj3 (G#) at fret 16
Root on G string (A at fret 9, for A Phryg Dom). The b2 (Bb) at fret 10 G string, major 3rd (C#) at fret 13 G string. This higher-neck position covers the last area of the neck and links back to Position 1 shifted up.
Key signature notes: b2 at fret 10 G string; maj3 at fret 13 G string
| Feature | Phrygian Dominant | Phrygian | Harmonic Minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula | 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 | 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 |
| 3rd degree | Major 3rd (3) | Flat 3rd (b3) | Flat 3rd (b3) |
| 2nd degree | Flat 2nd (b2) | Flat 2nd (b2) | Major 2nd (2) |
| Augmented 2nd | Yes (b2 to 3) | No | Yes (b6 to 7) |
| Tonic chord | I7 (dominant 7th) | im7 (minor 7th) | im (minor triad) |
| In E: notes | E F G# A B C D | E F G A B C D | E F# G A B C D# |
| Sound | Exotic, Middle Eastern, flamenco | Dark, brooding, Spanish | Dark, classical, neoclassical |
| Best for | Flamenco, metal, klezmer, Middle Eastern | Flamenco, metal, film score | Neoclassical metal, classical, jazz |
| Key | Notes | b2 | Maj 3rd | Low E Root | Genres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | E -F -G# -A -B -C -D | F | G# | Open | Flamenco, metal, Middle Eastern |
| A | A -Bb -C# -D -E -F -G | Bb | C# | Fret 5 | Flamenco, Spanish, metal |
| B | B -C -D# -E -F# -G -A | C | D# | Fret 7 | Metal, film score |
| D | D -Eb -F# -G -A -Bb -C | Eb | F# | Fret 10 | Klezmer, dark hip-hop |
| G | G -Ab -B -C -D -Eb -F | Ab | B | Fret 3 | Middle Eastern, film |
| C | C -Db -E -F -G -Ab -Bb | Db | E | Fret 8 | Film score, prog |
| F | F -Gb -A -Bb -C -Db -Eb | Gb | A | Fret 1 | Jazz, flamenco |
| F# | F# -G -A# -B -C# -D -E | G | A# | Fret 2 | Metal, exotic prog |
| Bb | Bb -B -D -Eb -F -Gb -Ab | B | D | Fret 6 | Klezmer, jazz |
| Eb | Eb -E -G -Ab -Bb -B -Db | E | G | Fret 11 | Film score, metal |
| Ab | Ab -A -C -Db -Eb -E -Gb | A | C | Fret 4 | Exotic, film |
| C# | C# -D -F -F# -G# -A -B | D | F | Fret 9 | Metal, Middle Eastern |
| Genre | Common Keys | How to Use It | Pro Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flamenco | E, A Phryg Dom | I7-bII vamp, rasgueado on E7-F chord, picado single-note runs | The E7 (I7) chord is tonic in flamenco, not a dominant. This is unusual in Western music but defines the flamenco color. Emphasize G# (maj3) and F (b2) in your melodies. |
| Metal | E, B, A Phryg Dom | Power chord riffs with F and G# color notes, tremolo on the aug 2nd, palm muted I7-bII moves | Mix Phrygian Dominant with Phrygian (swap G# for G natural) mid-phrase for a modern metal approach. The contrast between the two 3rds is striking. |
| Middle Eastern / Arabic | D, G Phryg Dom | Single-note melismatic lines, quartal arpeggios, slides and bends emphasizing the aug 2nd | Use slides between the b2 and major 3rd (the augmented 2nd) for an authentic Middle Eastern feel. This gliding movement is central to Arabic maqam ornamentation. |
| Klezmer / Gypsy | A, D Phryg Dom | Rapid scalewise runs with the aug 2nd, krech (cry) ornaments, dancing rhythm patterns | In klezmer the scale is called "Freygish." Use fast 16th-note runs that explicitly leap the augmented 2nd -- this is what distinguishes klezmer from other minor scale styles. |
| Film Score | Any key | Desert landscapes, exotic locales, villains with flair, Middle Eastern settings | Phrygian Dominant over strings creates instant "desert" atmosphere. Morricone used it for moral ambiguity. Williams uses it for foreign, mysterious settings. The I7 chord sounds powerful but unsettled. |
| Jazz (dominant sub) | A, D, G Phryg Dom | Play Phrygian Dominant over dominant 7 chords as an exotic substitution (A Phryg Dom over A7) | This substitution works because both share the same dominant 7 chord quality. The b2 and b6 add "outside" color that resolves dramatically to the next chord. Django and gypsy jazz players use it constantly. |
The Phrygian Dominant scale has the formula 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7. In E: E F G# A B C D. It has a flat second (like Phrygian) but a major third (unlike Phrygian), creating an augmented 2nd between the b2 and 3. This 3-semitone leap gives it a distinctly exotic, Middle Eastern, flamenco, and Spanish sound used across many world music traditions.
In Phrygian Dominant, the 3rd degree is raised from flat 3rd to major 3rd. In E Phrygian: G natural at fret 3 on low E. In E Phrygian Dominant: G# at fret 4 on low E. That one fret difference changes the tonic chord from Em7 (minor) to E7 (dominant), and creates the augmented 2nd between F and G# that makes the scale sound exotic.
The augmented 2nd is the 3-semitone leap between the flat 2nd and the major 3rd. In E: from F (fret 1 on low E) to G# (fret 4 on low E) -- a 3-fret span. This interval is unusually wide compared to the whole and half steps found in most scales. Your ear expects a smaller interval and gets a bigger one, creating the exotic, unexpected tension that defines flamenco, klezmer, and Middle Eastern music.
Famous Phrygian Dominant contexts include: virtually all traditional flamenco guitar (E Phrygian Dominant), Hava Nagila and klezmer music (A Phrygian Dominant / Freygish scale), Ennio Morricone's Spaghetti Western film scores, Metallica riff passages using E Phrygian Dominant, and Arabic maqam Hijaz guitar music. The I7-bII chord movement (E7 to F) is the signature Phrygian Dominant guitar progression.