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A♭ phrygian dominant scale on bass guitar
A♭ phrygian dominant contains A♭, B♭♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 4 and string 2, fret 6.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the A♭ phrygian dominant scale on bass?
A♭ phrygian dominant in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 8 notes across 4 strings, from F♭ on the E string at fret 0 up to B♭♭ on the G string at fret 2. The root falls on the G string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 2 | F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 0, 3 | B♭♭, C |
| 2 (D) | 1, 2 | E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 1, 2 | A♭, B♭♭ |
Box 2 · frets 2–5
A♭ phrygian dominant in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 9 notes across 4 strings, from G♭ on the E string at fret 2 up to C on the G string at fret 5. The root falls on the E string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 2, 4, 5 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 3 (A) | 3, 4 | C, D♭ |
| 2 (D) | 2, 4 | F♭, G♭ |
| 1 (G) | 2, 5 | B♭♭, C |
Box 3 · frets 4–7
A♭ phrygian dominant in box 3 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to D♭ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 5 | A♭, B♭♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 6, 7 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6, 7 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (G) | 5, 6 | C, D♭ |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
A♭ phrygian dominant in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 10 notes across 4 strings, from C on the E string at fret 8 up to G♭ on the G string at fret 11. The root falls on the A string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8, 9, 11 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (A) | 9, 11 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 10, 11 | C, D♭ |
| 1 (G) | 8, 9, 11 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
A♭ phrygian dominant in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 11 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the E string at fret 11 up to B♭♭ on the G string at fret 14. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 12, 14 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 11, 12 | A♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13, 14 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 11, 13, 14 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ phrygian dominant is A♭ phrygian with the third raised from C♭ to C. The interval pattern is H, 1½, H, W, H, W, W. See A♭ phrygian for the natural third.
When to use it
A♭ phrygian dominant works over A♭ major or A♭ 5th in flamenco and fusion. The ♭2 adds a dark colour to dominant lines. Try it on A♭ major or A♭ 5th.
Which position to practise
Start with Box 1. It covers frets 0–3 and keeps the root on string 4, fret 4, ready for the high A♭ on string 2.
Common questions
Which notes are in A♭ phrygian dominant?
The notes are A♭, B♭♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, and G♭. The scale has a major third and a minor second. It is the fifth mode of D♭ harmonic minor. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What chords fit A♭ phrygian dominant?
A♭ major and A♭ 5th are the primary chords. The ♭2 and ♭6 create tension over these chords. Use the scale for dominant function in A♭ minor progressions.
How does A♭ phrygian dominant differ from A♭ phrygian?
A♭ phrygian dominant raises the third from C♭ to C. This creates a major third instead of a minor third. The rest of the notes stay the same.