D Phrygian dominant scale on alto sax
D Phrygian dominant has 7 notes: D E♭ F♯ G A B♭ C. Degrees: 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Formula: H W+H H W H W W.
What notes are in the D Phrygian dominant scale?
D, E♭, F♯, G, A, B♭ and C. It has 7 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is H W+H H W H W W.
What does D Phrygian dominant sound like, and when do you use it?
Flamenco, the Middle East and metal: the ♭2 with a major 3rd. Use it over 7♭9 resolving to a minor chord (the V of harmonic minor).
Chords in D Phrygian dominant
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| I | D | D7 |
| ♭II | E♭ | E♭maj7 |
| iii° | F♯° | F♯°7 |
| iv | Gm | Gm(maj7) |
| v° | A° | Am7♭5 |
| ♭VI+ | B♭+ | B♭maj7♯5 |
| ♭vii | Cm | Cm7 |
Chord progressions to improvise with D Phrygian dominant
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the staff lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in D:
- Flamenco (I7–♭IImaj7): D7 | E♭maj7. I–♭II: the major 3rd (F♯) against the ♭2 (E♭). Spain and the Middle East.
- iv–I (iv–I7): Gm | Gm | D7 | D7. The end of the Andalusian cadence, where this scale lives: land on the I through the E♭.
- Modal (I7): a D7 vamp. A single 7 chord: the ♭2 and the ♭6 are the tensions to lean on.
D Phrygian dominant on alto sax: written notes and fingerings
The alto sax is a E♭ instrument: written D Phrygian dominant sounds F Phrygian dominant in concert pitch. Fingering for each note, from low to high (left hand | right hand):
- D: 123 | 123
- E♭: 123 | 123 + E♭
- F♯: 123 | 2
- G: 123 | –
- A: 12 | –
- B♭: 1 | – + bis (B♭)
- C: 2 | –
- D: 123 | 123 + octave key
Same notes as
Phrygian dominant in other keys
On other instruments
D Phrygian dominant on piano · D Phrygian dominant on guitar · D Phrygian dominant on bass · D Phrygian dominant on ukulele · D Phrygian dominant on mandolin · D Phrygian dominant on banjo · D Phrygian dominant on violin · D Phrygian dominant on viola · D Phrygian dominant on cello · D Phrygian dominant on tenor sax · D Phrygian dominant on trumpet · D Phrygian dominant on flute · All scales