What are double stops on guitar?
A double stop is two notes played at the same time, usually on two strings: more than a single note, less than a chord. Guitarists use them to thicken a melody, to answer a phrase or to suggest a chord with only two fingers.
Here every note of the Phrygian dominant is paired with another note of the scale a 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th above it, so both notes stay inside the scale. 3rds, 4ths and 5ths sit on two strings side by side, 6ths on two strings with one between. The table shows the seven pairs of each interval in E.
| Interval | Pairs in E | Kinds | Strings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thirds | E-G# F-A G#-B A-C B-D C-E D-F | 4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds | two strings side by side |
| Fourths | E-A F-B G#-C A-D B-E C-F D-G# | 4 perfect 4ths, 2 augmented 4ths and 1 diminished 4th | two strings side by side |
| Fifths | E-B F-C G#-D A-E B-F C-G# D-A | 4 perfect 5ths, 2 diminished 5ths and 1 augmented 5th | two strings side by side |
| Sixths | E-C F-D G#-E A-F B-G# C-A D-B | 4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths | one string between |
Phrygian dominant in thirds
In 3rds the scale pairs E-G#, F-A and C-E as major 3rds and G#-B, A-C, B-D and D-F as minor 3rds, so every pair sounds sweet. On the strings tuned a 4th apart the upper note sits one fret lower for a major 3rd and two frets lower for a minor 3rd. On the 3rd and 2nd strings, tuned a major 3rd apart, the shape moves one fret: a major 3rd is played at the same fret, as E-G# at fret 9.
Phrygian dominant in sixths
Turn a 3rd upside down and you get a 6th. In 6ths the pairs are E-C, G#-E and A-F as minor 6ths and F-D, B-G#, C-A and D-B as major 6ths. They skip a string: on the 6th and 4th or the 5th and 3rd strings the upper note is one fret lower for a major 6th and two for a minor 6th; on the 4th and 2nd or the 3rd and 1st strings, one fret lower for a minor 6th and at the same fret for a major 6th.
Phrygian dominant in fourths
A 4th is the power chord turned over. Four of the seven pairs are perfect 4ths, E-A, A-D, B-E and C-F, played at the same fret on strings tuned a 4th apart. Two are augmented 4ths, F-B and D-G#, the tritone, and G#-C is a diminished 4th that sounds like a major 3rd. The diagram marks those three in crimson: they give the scale its tense colour.
Phrygian dominant in fifths
Root and 5th is the power chord, the most common double stop in rock. E-B, F-C, A-E and D-A are perfect 5ths, the upper note two frets higher on the next string (three on the 3rd and 2nd strings). G#-D and B-F are diminished 5ths, the tritone again, and C-G# is an augmented 5th that sounds like a minor 6th.
Why seconds and sevenths are rarely double stops
A 2nd or a 7th puts two notes in a sharp clash, as E against F. A single clash can be a colour of its own, but a run of 2nds or 7ths through the scale sounds harsh, so this page leaves them out and keeps the four intervals guitarists use most.
How to practise Phrygian dominant double stops
Practise in two directions. Along one pair of strings, the Two strings view of the tool, climbs the neck from the open string to fret 12 and links the positions. Across the pairs, the Region view, keeps the hand in one of the five neck regions and moves from string pair to string pair, the way you would harmonize a melody in place.
Start with 3rds on the 3rd and 2nd strings at 70 BPM, then play the bII to I cadence of the scale as two double stops: F-A at fret 10 sliding to E-G# at fret 9, both notes falling a half step. The same scale one note at a time is on Phrygian dominant on one string, and the five regions are on Phrygian dominant guitar positions.
Phrygian dominant double stops in every key
The table lists the scale in 3rds and 6ths in every key, and each key links to its double stop diagrams near the end of the page.
| Key | 3rds | 6ths |
|---|---|---|
| C | C-E Db-F E-G F-Ab G-Bb Ab-C Bb-Db | C-Ab Db-Bb E-C F-Db G-E Ab-F Bb-G |
| C# | C#-E# D-F# E#-G# F#-A G#-B A-C# B-D | C#-A D-B E#-C# F#-D G#-E# A-F# B-G# |
| D | D-F# Eb-G F#-A G-Bb A-C Bb-D C-Eb | D-Bb Eb-C F#-D G-Eb A-F# Bb-G C-A |
| Eb | Eb-G Fb-Ab G-Bb Ab-Cb Bb-Db Cb-Eb Db-Fb | Eb-Cb Fb-Db G-Eb Ab-Fb Bb-G Cb-Ab Db-Bb |
| E | E-G# F-A G#-B A-C B-D C-E D-F | E-C F-D G#-E A-F B-G# C-A D-B |
| F | F-A Gb-Bb A-C Bb-Db C-Eb Db-F Eb-Gb | F-Db Gb-Eb A-F Bb-Gb C-A Db-Bb Eb-C |
| F# | F#-A# G-B A#-C# B-D C#-E D-F# E-G | F#-D G-E A#-F# B-G C#-A# D-B E-C# |
| G | G-B Ab-C B-D C-Eb D-F Eb-G F-Ab | G-Eb Ab-F B-G C-Ab D-B Eb-C F-D |
| G# | G#-B# A-C# B#-D# C#-E D#-F# E-G# F#-A | G#-E A-F# B#-G# C#-A D#-B# E-C# F#-D# |
| A | A-C# Bb-D C#-E D-F E-G F-A G-Bb | A-F Bb-G C#-A D-Bb E-C# F-D G-E |
| Bb | Bb-D Cb-Eb D-F Eb-Gb F-Ab Gb-Bb Ab-Cb | Bb-Gb Cb-Ab D-Bb Eb-Cb F-D Gb-Eb Ab-F |
| B | B-D# C-E D#-F# E-G F#-A G-B A-C | B-G C-A D#-B E-C F#-D# G-E A-F# |
Phrygian dominant double stops in all 12 keys
For every key: the scale in 3rds on the five pairs of strings side by side, and in 6ths on the four pairs with one string between.
C Phrygian dominant double stops
In C Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are C-E, Db-F, E-G, F-Ab, G-Bb, Ab-C, Bb-Db (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths C-Ab, Db-Bb, E-C, F-Db, G-E, Ab-F, Bb-G (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is C-E.
C scaleC open positionC positionsC fretboardC one stringC double stopsC chordsC inversionsC drop 2C arpeggiosC progressionsC backing track
C# Phrygian dominant double stops
In C# Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are C#-E#, D-F#, E#-G#, F#-A, G#-B, A-C#, B-D (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths C#-A, D-B, E#-C#, F#-D, G#-E#, A-F#, B-G# (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is C#-E#.
C# scaleC# open positionC# positionsC# fretboardC# one stringC# double stopsC# chordsC# inversionsC# drop 2C# arpeggiosC# progressionsC# backing track
D Phrygian dominant double stops
In D Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are D-F#, Eb-G, F#-A, G-Bb, A-C, Bb-D, C-Eb (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths D-Bb, Eb-C, F#-D, G-Eb, A-F#, Bb-G, C-A (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is D-F#.
D scaleD open positionD positionsD fretboardD one stringD double stopsD chordsD inversionsD drop 2D arpeggiosD progressionsD backing track
Eb Phrygian dominant double stops
In Eb Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are Eb-G, Fb-Ab, G-Bb, Ab-Cb, Bb-Db, Cb-Eb, Db-Fb (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths Eb-Cb, Fb-Db, G-Eb, Ab-Fb, Bb-G, Cb-Ab, Db-Bb (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is Eb-G.
Eb scaleEb open positionEb positionsEb fretboardEb one stringEb double stopsEb chordsEb inversionsEb drop 2Eb arpeggiosEb progressionsEb backing track
E Phrygian dominant double stops
In E Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are E-G#, F-A, G#-B, A-C, B-D, C-E, D-F (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths E-C, F-D, G#-E, A-F, B-G#, C-A, D-B (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is E-G#.
E scaleE open positionE positionsE fretboardE one stringE double stopsE chordsE inversionsE drop 2E arpeggiosE progressionsE licksE ornamentsE flamenco techniqueE backing track
F Phrygian dominant double stops
In F Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are F-A, Gb-Bb, A-C, Bb-Db, C-Eb, Db-F, Eb-Gb (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths F-Db, Gb-Eb, A-F, Bb-Gb, C-A, Db-Bb, Eb-C (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is F-A.
F scaleF open positionF positionsF fretboardF one stringF double stopsF chordsF inversionsF drop 2F arpeggiosF progressionsF backing track
F# Phrygian dominant double stops
In F# Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are F#-A#, G-B, A#-C#, B-D, C#-E, D-F#, E-G (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths F#-D, G-E, A#-F#, B-G, C#-A#, D-B, E-C# (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is F#-A#.
F# scaleF# open positionF# positionsF# fretboardF# one stringF# double stopsF# chordsF# inversionsF# drop 2F# arpeggiosF# progressionsF# backing track
G Phrygian dominant double stops
In G Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are G-B, Ab-C, B-D, C-Eb, D-F, Eb-G, F-Ab (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths G-Eb, Ab-F, B-G, C-Ab, D-B, Eb-C, F-D (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is G-B.
G scaleG open positionG positionsG fretboardG one stringG double stopsG chordsG inversionsG drop 2G arpeggiosG progressionsG backing track
G# Phrygian dominant double stops
In G# Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are G#-B#, A-C#, B#-D#, C#-E, D#-F#, E-G#, F#-A (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths G#-E, A-F#, B#-G#, C#-A, D#-B#, E-C#, F#-D# (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is G#-B#.
G# scaleG# open positionG# positionsG# fretboardG# one stringG# double stopsG# chordsG# inversionsG# drop 2G# arpeggiosG# progressionsG# backing track
A Phrygian dominant double stops
In A Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are A-C#, Bb-D, C#-E, D-F, E-G, F-A, G-Bb (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths A-F, Bb-G, C#-A, D-Bb, E-C#, F-D, G-E (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is A-C#.
A scaleA open positionA positionsA fretboardA one stringA double stopsA chordsA inversionsA drop 2A arpeggiosA progressionsA licksA ornamentsA flamenco techniqueA backing track
Bb Phrygian dominant double stops
In Bb Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are Bb-D, Cb-Eb, D-F, Eb-Gb, F-Ab, Gb-Bb, Ab-Cb (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths Bb-Gb, Cb-Ab, D-Bb, Eb-Cb, F-D, Gb-Eb, Ab-F (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is Bb-D.
Bb scaleBb open positionBb positionsBb fretboardBb one stringBb double stopsBb chordsBb inversionsBb drop 2Bb arpeggiosBb progressionsBb backing track
B Phrygian dominant double stops
In B Phrygian dominant the double stops in 3rds are B-D#, C-E, D#-F#, E-G, F#-A, G-B, A-C (4 minor 3rds and 3 major 3rds), and in 6ths B-G, C-A, D#-B, E-C, F#-D#, G-E, A-F# (4 major 6ths and 3 minor 6ths). The home pair is B-D#.
B scaleB open positionB positionsB fretboardB one stringB double stopsB chordsB inversionsB drop 2B arpeggiosB progressionsB backing track
Phrygian Dominant Double Stops: frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions guitarists ask most about the Phrygian dominant double stops.
What is a double stop on guitar?
Two notes played at the same time, usually on two strings. It sits between a single note and a chord, and needs only two fingers.
Which double stops sound best in Phrygian dominant?
3rds and 6ths: every pair is a major or a minor interval, so they sound smooth all through the scale. 4ths and 5ths are mostly perfect but each has two tritones and one odd interval, which give a darker, tenser sound.
Why do the shapes change on the G and B strings?
The G and B strings are tuned a major 3rd apart, while the other neighbouring strings are a 4th apart. A double stop on those two strings moves one fret compared with the same interval on the other pairs.
Why do 6ths skip a string?
On two strings side by side a 6th would need a wide stretch. With one string between, the two notes sit at the same fret or one or two frets apart, an easy grip.
Can I play double stops in seconds or sevenths?
You can, but they clash: E against F is a sharp, tense sound. They work as a single colour, not as a way to play through the scale, so this page uses 3rds, 4ths, 5ths and 6ths.