Scales › ultraphrygian

ultraphrygian scale

diminished Phrygian bb7

7 notes

RC b9Db b3Eb b11Fb 5G b13Ab bb7Bbb

guide tones (3rd & 7th — the heart of the sound) avoid (strong clash)

C · Db · Eb · Fb · G · Ab · Bbb

Play in the key of

ultraphrygian on the guitar: the fretboard diagram

Here is the ultraphrygian scale laid out across the whole neck, from fret 0 to fret 15. The guide tones (3rd and 7th) are highlighted — they're what makes the scale's color sing. Use the key selector above to shift the shape along the neck and find the positions in your key.

E b11 5 b13 bb7 R b9 b3 b11 5 B R b9 b3 b11 5 b13 bb7 R b9 G 5 b13 bb7 R b9 b3 b11 5 b13 bb7 D b3 b11 5 b13 bb7 R b9 b3 b11 A bb7 R b9 b3 b11 5 b13 bb7 R E b11 5 b13 bb7 R b9 b3 b11 5 0123456789101112131415

What color?

Phrygian with b11 and bb7: a very dark, chromatic mode, almost diminished, drawn from the double harmonic. An exotic, closed color, to reserve for moments when you seek extreme Eastern tension.

Origin & history

The third mode of the double harmonic. One of the darkest theoretical modes, mostly material for exploration.

Which chords to play it on?

Outside the functional consensus: this is an exploration color. Lay it over a vamp or a held chord to tint your improvisation with an unexpected flavor, rather than inside a cadence.

Sibling modes

The ultraphrygian scale is one of the modes of the double harmonic scale : it shares exactly the same notes as the modes below, but built on a different degree of the parent scale (double harmonic major (Byzantine)).

double harmonic major (Byzantine) Byzantine, two augmented seconds Lydian ♯2 ♯6 exotic Lydian ♯2 ♯6 Hungarian minor Hungarian minor, double augmented second Oriental Oriental, double augmented second Ionian ♯2 ♯5 exotic major ♯2 ♯5 Locrian ♭♭3 ♭♭7 doubly diminished Locrian

Try it in a real chart

Paste a chord chart into the tool: Pentania tells you, chord by chord, when this scale fits — and what other colors are open to you. Open the tool →