Phrygian Dominant Licks on Guitar

What makes a Phrygian dominant lick?

Two sounds give the scale away:
the half step from F to E and the wide step from F to G#.

A lick is a short phrase you can learn as a block and drop into a solo. In E Phrygian dominant (E F G# A B C D) the phrases on this page lean on the two sounds that set the scale apart from a plain minor or major scale: the half step from the flat 2nd (F) down to the root, and the augmented second from F up to G#, the major 3rd.

All 20 licks were written for this page, four in each of five styles: flamenco, Arabic Hijaz, klezmer, neoclassical metal and jazz. Each one has its own player with tab and neck: choose a key, slow the tempo, turn on Loop and play along. The player at the top holds every lick in one menu.

Flamenco Phrygian dominant licks

Picado runs, thumb melodies and open strings,
each phrase falling from F to E at the end.

Flamenco picado lick descending to E

Picado is the flamenco technique for single note runs, plucked with the index and middle fingers in turn. This run starts on the high F and walks down the open position in sixteenth notes, then repeats the low end of the scale and lands on the open low E through F, the bII to I resolution that closes flamenco cadences.

E|1-0-------------------------------------|
B|----3-1-0-------------------------------|
G|----------2-1---------------------------|
D|--------------3-2-----------------------|
A|------------------3-2-0-----3-2-0-------|
E|------------------------1-0-------4-1-0-|

Flamenco falseta lick on the bass strings

A falseta is a short guitar melody played between the sung verses or for the dancers. This one stays on the 5th and 6th strings, played with the thumb: it circles the root, jumps up to A and comes back down through C, B and G# before the last F to E.

E|--------------------------|
B|--------------------------|
G|--------------------------|
D|--------------------------|
A|--------0-----3-2-0-------|
E|0-1-0-4---4-1-------4-1-0-|

Flamenco lick over the open high E string

The melody moves on the 3rd string while the open 1st string rings between every note, so the root sounds all the time and the scale notes rub against it. In E the open strings make it easy; in other keys the player moves the open string to a fretted note.

E|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-----|
B|------------------------------------------------|
G|1---2---4---5---4---2---1-------4---2---1-------|
D|----------------------------3---------------3-2-|
A|------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------|

Flamenco run up two octaves in open position

Every note of the scale once, from the open low E to the high E, two or three notes per string. At the top the bII leans on the root for a beat before it rests. Start at 50 BPM and keep every note even.

E|----------------------------0-1-0-|
B|----------------------0-1-3-------|
G|------------------1-2-------------|
D|------------0-2-3-----------------|
A|------0-2-3-----------------------|
E|0-1-4-----------------------------|

Arabic Hijaz licks on guitar

Phrygian dominant is the equal tempered version
of the lower part of maqam Hijaz: slides do the rest.

Hijaz tetrachord lick with slides

E F G# A is jins Hijaz, the four note group at the bottom of the maqam. This lick plays it on the 2nd string only and slides into F and G#, so the wide step sounds like a glide, closer to the oud than to a fretted scale. In real Hijaz the 2nd and 3rd are played slightly closer together than on a guitar fret.

E|----------------------------------|
B|5-/6-/9~-10-9-6-5-6-9-/10~-9-6-5~-|
G|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|

Hijaz lick resting on the 4th degree

In maqam Hijaz the 4th degree is a strong resting note, the ghammaz. The phrase climbs to A and holds it with vibrato, then turns around B and C and falls back to E.

E|----------------7-8-7------------|
B|-----9-10~-9-10-------10-9-------|
G|9-10-----------------------10-9~-|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|

Middle Eastern guitar lick with mordents

A mordent is a quick turn to the next note and back. Here a hammer on and a pull off flick E to F and back before the line climbs the 4th string to A, then the same tetrachord comes down with vibrato on the last E.

E|-----------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|--------------------4-5-4----------|
D|2-h3-p2-3-/6-7~-6-7-------7-6-3-2~-|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

Hijaz lick descending from the high A

A slow fall from the 4th degree through both halves of the scale, in eighth notes, ending with a pull off from F to E. Play it softly and let each note ring into the next.

E|5-4-1-0-----------------------|
B|--------3-1-0-----------------|
G|--------------1-2-1-----------|
D|--------------------3-2-3-p2~-|
A|------------------------------|
E|------------------------------|

Klezmer Freygish licks on guitar

Freygish uses the same seven notes:
dance rhythms, sobbing ornaments, phrases that rest on the 3rd.

Klezmer lick in bulgar rhythm 3 3 2

The bulgar is a klezmer dance whose eight beats are often counted 3 + 3 + 2, a lilting feel. The lick follows that grouping in both bars and ends on G#, the 3rd of the scale, a resting note that Freygish phrases often favour.

E|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|1-2-4-5-4-2-1---------1-|
D|--------------3-2-3-2---|
A|------------------------|
E|------------------------|

Klezmer krekhts ornament lick

The krekhts is a sob, a quick catch in the voice that klezmer players imitate on their instruments. On guitar a fast hammer on and pull off between two notes gives a similar catch: here from A back to G#, then on B and C.

E|-----------------------7-8-7-h8-p7------|
B|-----9-10-p9------9-10-------------10-9-|
G|9-10---------10-9-----------------------|
D|----------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|

Doina style klezmer lick

The doina is a slow, free, singing piece that often opens a klezmer set. Long notes with vibrato come down from the high D to E; play it freely, stretching the long notes.

E|10~-8-7-------------------------|
B|--------10~-9~----9-------------|
G|---------------10---10-9-10-p9~-|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

Klezmer freylekhs run around the augmented second

A fast run in sixteenths that keeps turning around F and G#, the augmented second, then lands on E. It suits a fast freylekhs dance once it is clean at a slow tempo.

E|------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|--------4-5-7-5-4-----------4-5-4---------|
D|2-3-6-7-----------7-6-3-6-7-------7-6-3-2-|
A|------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|

Neoclassical metal Phrygian dominant licks

Neoclassical metal grew out of the harmonic minor:
its 5th mode, Phrygian dominant, played over the major V chord.

Metal pedal tone lick on the open low E

A pedal tone is one note repeated between the notes of a melody. The open low E alternates with F, G# and A in sixteenths, a classic metal riff idea that keeps the root pounding under the melody.

E|--------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|0-1-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-1-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-1-0-1-0-|

Neoclassical sequence lick in fours

A sequence repeats one small pattern from each note of the scale. Here four notes go down, then the next group starts one step lower, inside neck region 4 (frets 7 to 11). Use alternate picking and keep the groups even.

E|10-8-7----8-7------7----------------------------------------|
B|-------10-----10-9---10-9----10-9------9--------------------|
G|--------------------------10------10-9---10-9-7-10-9-7----9-|
D|-------------------------------------------------------10---|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------|

Sweep picking lick from bII to I

An F major arpeggio swept across five strings, then E major one fret lower: the bII to I resolution as two arpeggios. Let the pick fall through the strings in one motion and mute each note as the next one sounds.

E|--------5-8-5-----------4-7-4---8-7-4-5-4-----|
B|------6-------6-------5-------5-----------6-5-|
G|----5---------------4-------------------------|
D|--7---------------6---------------------------|
A|8---------------7-----------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|

Three notes per string Phrygian dominant run

Three notes on every string from the open low E, two octaves up in sixteenths, then a short turn on the high strings. Three notes per string keep the picking pattern the same on every string.

E|------------------------------1-4-5-4-1-0-|
B|------------------------1-3-5-------------|
G|------------------1-2-4-------------------|
D|------------0-2-3-------------------------|
A|------0-2-3-------------------------------|
E|0-1-4-------------------------------------|

Jazz Phrygian dominant licks over V7

Jazz calls it Mixolydian b9 b13: the sound of V7 in a minor key,
here E7 resolving to Am.

Jazz lick over E7 resolving to Am

Eighth notes walk down the scale from D over E7, passing F (the b9) and C (the b13), then the line lands on C, A and E, the notes of Am. Resolving to a chord tone on beat one makes the line sound finished.

E|10-8-7--------------------|
B|-------10-9---------------|
G|------------10-9-7------9-|
D|-------------------10-7---|
A|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|

Diminished arpeggio lick over E7b9

G# B D F, the four notes of E7b9 without its root, form a diminished seventh chord. The lick climbs that shape up the neck, comes down the scale and resolves to A and C of Am.

E|----------7-10-8-7--------------------|
B|------6-9----------10-9-6-5-----------|
G|--4-7-----------------------7-5-4---5-|
D|6---------------------------------7---|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|

Jazz enclosure lick on the 3rd of E7

An enclosure surrounds a target note from below and above before it lands. F and A close in on G#, the 3rd of E7; the line then rises to C, the 3rd of Am, on the next bar.

E|---------7-10-8-7---------8-|
B|--6-10-9----------10-9-10---|
G|7---------------------------|
D|----------------------------|
A|----------------------------|
E|----------------------------|

Jazz lick descending from the b13

The lick starts on C, the b13 of E7, and runs straight down the scale, then G# rises to A: the leading tone into the root of Am. Over the Am bar it holds C, so the b13 of the dominant becomes the 3rd of the minor chord.

E|8-7-5-4-----------------|
B|--------6-5-------------|
G|------------7-5-4-----5-|
D|------------------6-7---|
A|------------------------|
E|------------------------|

How to practise Phrygian dominant licks

Slow, looped, then in other keys:
a lick is yours when it sounds right without the tab.

Start each lick at 50 to 70 BPM with Loop on and the tab in view. When it is even, raise the tempo in small steps, then change the key in the player and play it again: the shape moves along the neck and stays the same. Finally take one lick a day into an improvisation over a drone on E or over the I bII vamp.

The notes behind every lick are on Phrygian dominant on guitar, the chords under them on Phrygian dominant chords on guitar and full vamps to play over on Phrygian dominant chord progressions.