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D Phrygian dominantScale

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

Formula

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

D Phrygian dominant on the chromatic circle

D 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 GI Harmonic minor 5 AII Locrian ♮6 ♭6 B♭III Ionian ♯5 ♭7 CIV Dorian ♯4 1 DV Phrygian dominant ♭2 E♭VI Lydian ♯2 3 F♯VII Altered 𝄫7 D Phrygian dominant
The whole neck

D 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 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 3 4
Harmony

Chords in D 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
ID7D F♯ A C
♭IIE♭maj7E♭ G B♭ D
iii°F♯°7F♯ A C E♭
ivGm(maj7)G B♭ D F♯
v°Am7♭5A C E♭ G
♭VI+B♭maj7♯5B♭ D F♯ A
♭viiCm7C E♭ G B♭
Context

Where D 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.

D 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

D Phrygian dominant scale questions

What notes are in the D Phrygian dominant scale?

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

What is the D 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 D Phrygian dominant scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of D 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 D Phrygian dominant scale?

D7 (I), E♭maj7 (♭II), F♯°7 (iii°), Gm(maj7) (iv), Am7♭5 (v°), B♭maj7♯5 (♭VI+), Cm7 (♭vii).

When is the D 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.