Exotic Scales for Guitar

The Sound of Distant Lands,
on Your Fretboard

Starting with the Phrygian dominant scale:
its formula, its chords, its notes in all 12 keys
and an interactive fretboard to hear it.

Learn exotic scales on guitar

Exotic guitar scales: theory, arpeggios, chords, progressions, and more

Four ways into every exotic scale on the guitar:
the scale, its chords, its arpeggios and its progressions.

Parchment card reading Exotic Guitar Scales with a guitar neck diagram of a scale in open position, roots in burgundy. Theory

Exotic scales

Every exotic scale, with its
formula, notes and sound.

Parchment card reading Exotic Guitar Chords with a guitar chord box diagram, open strings and fretted notes. Harmony

Exotic chords

Triads and seventh chords,
voiced for guitar in 12 keys.

Parchment card reading Exotic Guitar Arpeggios with the chord notes in gold over a faded scale on a guitar neck diagram. Technique

Exotic arpeggios

Chord tones from root to root,
in five neck regions.

Parchment card reading Exotic Guitar Progressions with two chord boxes and an arrow, a bII to I cadence. Practice

Chord progressions

Cadences that stay in the mode,
with a player for each one.

Exotic scales list

List of exotic scales to learn on guitar

Start with the formula and the sound of each scale,
then play it in every key on the guitar neck.

Flamenco guitarist's hands on a classical guitar in an Andalusian courtyard, the mood of the Phrygian dominant scale Spanish · Hijaz · Freygish

Phrygian dominant: formula, notes and sound

Half step, augmented second, half step:
E F G# A B C D in E, and all 12 keys.

Exotic scale chords

Guitar chords built from exotic scales

Seven chords per scale, voiced for the guitar,
with a player that strums each one in any key.

Flamenco guitarist strumming a chord on a classical guitar by a whitewashed wall with an iron window grille, the mood of Phrygian dominant chords on guitar Spanish · Hijaz · Freygish

Chords of the Phrygian dominant scale

E, F, G#dim, Am, Bdim, C+ and Dm in E,
plus E7, Fmaj7 and the other seventh chords.

Exotic scale arpeggios

Exotic arpeggios for guitar, root to root

Every chord of a scale broken into single notes,
in five neck regions and along the whole fretboard.

Classical guitarist's hands plucking single strings by a carved Moorish window, the mood of Phrygian dominant arpeggios on guitar Spanish · Hijaz · Freygish

Arpeggios of the Phrygian dominant scale

From E7, E G# B D, to Dm7 in E,
triads and seventh chords in every key.

Exotic chord progressions

Chord progressions in exotic scales for guitar

Progressions that keep the sound of the mode,
each with a chart, chord boxes and its own player.

A flamenco guitarist plays a classical guitar on a tiled fountain bench under an orange tree in an Andalusian courtyard; a parchment badge reads Phrygian Dominant Progressions and shows the F and E chord boxes, the bII to I cadence of the scale. Spanish · Hijaz · Freygish

24 progressions in the Phrygian dominant mode

The bII to I cadence, F to E, in triads
and seventh chords, in all 12 keys.