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C Phrygian dominantScale

Open C Phrygian dominant in the scale libraryDownload the C Phrygian dominant chart (PDF)

Formula

H 1½ H W H W W 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
The family

C Phrygian dominant on the chromatic circle

C Phrygian dominant is the 5th mode of the Harmonic minor family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W H W W H 1½ H 4 FI Harmonic minor 5 GII Locrian ♮6 ♭6 A♭III Ionian ♯5 ♭7 B♭IV Dorian ♯4 1 CV Phrygian dominant ♭2 D♭VI Lydian ♯2 3 EVII Altered 𝄫7 C Phrygian dominant
The whole neck

C Phrygian dominant across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5
Harmony

Chords in C Phrygian dominant

Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.

DegreeChordNotes
IC7C E G B♭
♭IID♭maj7D♭ F A♭ C
iii°E°7E G B♭ D♭
ivFm(maj7)F A♭ C E
v°Gm7♭5G B♭ D♭ F
♭VI+A♭maj7♯5A♭ C E G
♭viiB♭m7B♭ D♭ F A♭
Context

Where C Phrygian dominant fits

Flamenco, Middle-Eastern music, klezmer and metal. Over the V7 of a minor key, or as a home sound over a major chord with a ♭9.

C Phrygian dominant is mode 5 of the harmonic minor family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:

Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:

Phrygian dominant scale in every key

C Phrygian dominant scale questions

What notes are in the C Phrygian dominant scale?

C D♭ E F G A♭ B♭. As degrees from the root: 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

What is the C Phrygian dominant scale formula?

1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, H 1½ H W H W W (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the C Phrygian dominant scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of C Phrygian dominant up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the C shape to the A shape to the G shape to the E shape to the D shape.

What chords are in the C Phrygian dominant scale?

C7 (I), D♭maj7 (♭II), E°7 (iii°), Fm(maj7) (iv), Gm7♭5 (v°), A♭maj7♯5 (♭VI+), B♭m7 (♭vii).

When is the C Phrygian dominant scale used?

Flamenco, Middle-Eastern music, klezmer and metal. Over the V7 of a minor key, or as a home sound over a major chord with a ♭9.