The D Phrygian Dominant Scale for Guitar
D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb and C are the notes of the D Phrygian dominant scale. Let the open D string drone and bend your way through the Eb and F#: the half step followed by the augmented second is what makes it sound Spanish or Middle Eastern.
On the neck the root also appears on the 10th fret of the low E string. G harmonic minor holds the same pitches. Alternate the scale with diagonal scale patterns to move across the strings without being stuck in one box.
Play the D phrygian dominant scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the D phrygian dominant scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Eb | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| F# | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| G | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| A | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Bb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| C | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
D phrygian dominant scale notes:
How the phrygian dominant scale is built:
The phrygian dominant scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7, which gives the step pattern H-W+H-H-W-H-W-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is mode 5 of the Harmonic Minor Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.
It is also known as Jewish Scale, Ahava Raba, Freygish and Spanish Phrygian.
D Phrygian Dominant Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (D)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the D phrygian dominant scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the phrygian dominant scale, starting from a different degree.
The phrygian dominant scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
