The seven Phrygian dominant intervals
Every note of the scale measured from the root:
its interval, its distance in frets and where it sits on the neck.
An interval is the distance between two notes. Measured from the root, the Phrygian dominant scale is a minor 2nd, a major 3rd, a perfect 4th, a perfect 5th, a minor 6th and a minor 7th: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7. The major 3rd and the perfect 5th make the home chord major; the minor 2nd and minor 6th give it the dark, tense edge.
The degree buttons in the player above play each interval: the root, the interval, then both together. The neck keeps only the roots and the chosen degree, so you see exactly where it sits.
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | In E | In A | From the root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | 0 | E | A | the root; its octave is 2 strings up, 2 frets higher |
| b2 | minor 2nd | 1 | F | Bb | same string, 1 fret up |
| 3 | major 3rd | 4 | G# | C# | next string up, 1 fret lower |
| 4 | perfect 4th | 5 | A | D | next string up, same fret |
| 5 | perfect 5th | 7 | B | E | next string up, 2 frets higher |
| b6 | minor 6th | 8 | C | F | next string up, 3 frets higher |
| b7 | minor 7th | 10 | D | G | 2 strings up, same fret |
Interval shapes around a root on the 6th string
Put the root under the 2nd finger at fret 5 and the whole scale fits in five frets:
slide the same shape to any fret for any key.
In standard tuning the 6th, 5th and 4th strings are a perfect 4th apart, so the shapes on those strings are the same in every key. From a root on the 6th string the 4th is straight across on the 5th string, the 5th two frets above it, and the b7 straight across two strings up.
Interval shapes around a root on the 5th string
The same distances one string higher:
the shape only changes where it crosses from the G to the B string.
With the root on the 5th string, the 4th, 5th and b6 sit on the 4th string and the b7 and octave on the 3rd. Above that, the B string is tuned a major 3rd from the G, not a 4th, so notes on the B string sit one fret higher than the same interval on the lower pairs.
The steps between the notes of the scale
From one note to the next the scale moves in half steps, whole steps
and one step and a half, the augmented second.
Seen step by step, the scale is ½, 1½, ½, 1, ½, 1, 1 tones. The step of 1½ tones between the b2 and the 3, three frets on one string, is the interval that sounds Arabic, Andalusian and klezmer at once. The half steps around it, root to b2 and 3 to 4, pull the melody towards the root and the 3rd.
| Notes | Degrees | Tones | Frets |
|---|---|---|---|
| E to F | 1 to b2 | ½ | 1 |
| F to G# | b2 to 3 | 1½ | 3 |
| G# to A | 3 to 4 | ½ | 1 |
| A to B | 4 to 5 | 1 | 2 |
| B to C | 5 to b6 | ½ | 1 |
| C to D | b6 to b7 | 1 | 2 |
| D to E | b7 to 1 | 1 | 2 |
How to hear the Phrygian dominant intervals
Sing first, then play:
the ear learns an interval when the voice has to find it.
Press a degree, listen, then sing the root and the interval without the guitar. Start with the 5th and the 3rd, which are easy to find, then the b2 and the b6, which lean down to the root and the 5th. When you can sing all seven from any root, try them over the drone on the drone practice page.
Phrygian Dominant Intervals on Guitar: frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions guitarists ask most about the Phrygian dominant intervals on guitar.
What intervals are in the Phrygian dominant scale?
From the root: minor 2nd, major 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, minor 6th and minor 7th, written 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7.
What is the augmented second in Phrygian dominant?
The step from the b2 to the 3rd: three semitones, three frets on one string (F to G# in E). It is the widest step in the scale and the source of its exotic sound.
Where is the b2 on the guitar?
One fret above any root on the same string. It is the note that tells the ear it is hearing Phrygian dominant and not a major or Mixolydian scale.
Why do interval shapes change on the B string?
The G and B strings are a major 3rd apart, while the other neighbouring strings are a 4th apart. An interval that crosses from the G to the B string sits one fret higher than on the other pairs.
How do I train my ear for these intervals?
Use the degree buttons in the player: each one plays the root, then the interval, then both together. Sing the interval before you press the button, and check yourself.