Explore scales · Guitar
E♭ phrygian dominant scale on guitar
E♭ phrygian dominant uses E♭, F♭, G, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭. Box 2 keeps the root on the fifth string and covers frets 3–6 for smooth position shifts.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the E♭ phrygian dominant scale on guitar?
E♭ phrygian dominant in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 13 notes across 6 strings, from F♭ on the low E string at fret 0 up to G on the high e string at fret 3. The root falls on the D string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 3 | F♭, G |
| 5 (A) | 1, 2 | B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 2 | E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (G) | 0, 1, 3 | G, A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 0, 2 | C♭, D♭ |
| 1 (e) | 0, 3 | F♭, G |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
E♭ phrygian dominant in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 15 notes across 6 strings, from G on the low E string at fret 3 up to B♭ on the high e string at fret 6. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the B string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3, 4, 6 | G, A♭, B♭ |
| 5 (A) | 4, 6 | D♭, E♭ |
| 4 (D) | 5, 6 | G, A♭ |
| 3 (G) | 3, 4, 6 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
| 2 (B) | 4, 5 | E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (e) | 3, 4, 6 | G, A♭, B♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
E♭ phrygian dominant in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 16 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to D♭ on the high e string at fret 9. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 7, 9 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 7 | E♭, F♭ |
| 4 (D) | 6, 8, 9 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 8, 9 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (B) | 8, 9 | G, A♭ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 7, 9 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
Box 4 · frets 9–12
E♭ phrygian dominant in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 15 notes across 6 strings, from D♭ on the low E string at fret 9 up to F♭ on the high e string at fret 12. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9, 11, 12 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 5 (A) | 10, 11 | G, A♭ |
| 4 (D) | 9, 11 | C♭, D♭ |
| 3 (G) | 9, 12 | F♭, G |
| 2 (B) | 9, 11, 12 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (e) | 9, 11, 12 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
E♭ phrygian dominant in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 15 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to F♭ on the high e string at fret 12. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11, the D string at fret 13 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 12 | E♭, F♭ |
| 5 (A) | 11, 13, 14 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 11, 13, 14 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (G) | 12, 13 | G, A♭ |
| 2 (B) | 11, 12, 14 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 12 | E♭, F♭ |
Why it sounds like that
Raise the third of E♭ phrygian from G♭ to G. The scale then has a major third and a ♭2, with intervals 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7. The step pattern is H, 1½, H, W, H, W, W; compare with E♭ phrygian.
When to use it
Use it over E♭ major or E♭ 5th for a Phrygian dominant tonic. The ♭2 F♭ and ♭6 C♭ add darkness to E♭ major, while the major third G keeps it major. It suits flamenco, Middle Eastern, and metal.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 2 first: the root sits on the fifth string, sixth fret, and the position covers frets 3–6, making the ♭2 easy to reach.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ phrygian dominant?
The notes are E♭, F♭, G, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭. The intervals are 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit E♭ phrygian dominant?
The tonic chord is E♭ major or E♭ 5th. Other common chords are E major, A♭ minor, and D♭ minor. The ♭2 and ♭6 create a Spanish flavour.
How is E♭ phrygian dominant different from E♭ phrygian?
E♭ phrygian dominant has a major third (G), while E♭ phrygian has a minor third (G♭). This changes the tonic chord from minor to major. The rest of the notes are identical.