Phrygian Dominant Scale

In music, the Phrygian dominant scale (or the Phrygian ♮3 scale) is the actual fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale, the fifth being the dominant.Dave Hunter (2005). ''Play Acoustic'', San Francisco: Backbeat, p. 226. . It is also called the harmonic dominant, altered Phrygian scale, dominant flat 2 flat 6 (in jazz), or Freygish scale (also spelled FraigishDick Weissman, Dan Fox (2009). ''A Guide to Non-Jazz Improvisation'', guitar edition, Pacific, Missouri: Mel Bay, p. 130. .). It resembles the Phrygian mode but with a major third, rather than a minor third. The augmented second between its second and third scale degrees gives it an "Arabic" or Middle Eastern feeling to Western listeners.

In the Berklee method, it is known as the Mixolydian 9 13 chord scale, a Mixolydian scale with a lowered 9th (2nd) and lowered 13th (6th), used in secondary dominant chord scales for V⁷/III and V⁷/VI.

Construction

Built on C, the scale is as follows.
:

When related to the scale degrees of the major scale, it reads:
:1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 1
The sequence of steps forming the Phrygian dominant scale is:
* half – augmented second – half – whole – half – whole – whole

Traditional use

This scale occurs in Indian, Middle Eastern, Balkan, Greek music, Eastern European, Central Asian, and flamenco music. It is also present in Arabic and Egyptian music, in which it is called ''Hijaz-Nahawand'' or ''Hijaz maqam'', but is not so frequent. The scale is used in Hebrew prayers and Klezmer music as well, where it is known as ''Ahava Rabbah'', ''Freygish'' or just the "Jewish scale", and is called ''Dastgāh-e Homāyoun'' in Iran. It is the most common scale in North Indian classical raga ''Hijaz Bhairav (Basant Mukhari)'' and South Indian raga '' Vakulabharanam''.

It is sometimes called the ''Spanish Phrygian scale'', ''Spanish Gypsy scale'' (see: gypsy scale) or ''Phrygian major scale'' (see: phrygian mode and major scale) and is common in flamenco music. It can also be found in traditional Spanish songs outside flamenco, everywhere in Spain to varying amounts, but especially in southern and central areas of the country, often being also known as ''escala andaluza'' (''Andalusian scale'') in Spanish. Related scales in Spanish traditional music with chromatic notes in the second degree, varying between a semitone and a tone, are also known as "gama española" ("Spanish gamut") or "gama de Castilla y León" (gamut of Castile and León) and, though found all over Spain, are particularly common in Castilian and Leonese traditional songs.

The flatted second and the augmented second between the second and third scale degrees of the scale create its distinctive sound. Examples include some versions of " Hava Nagila", " Sha Shtil" and " Misirlou", while other versions of those melodies use the closely related " double harmonic scale". The main chords derived from this scale are I, II, iv, and vii.

When the Freygish scale is used in Klezmer music, the sixth degree may be left unflatted if it is melodically approached and left from above,Ilana Cravitz (January 2004
Klezmer – Modes and Scales
, ''ManchesterKlezmer.org'' at archive.org (Accessed 23 November 2014). or the seventh degree may be raised as well.

The Phrygian dominant scale is often used in jazz composition and improvisation over secondary dominants of minor chords in a major key, such as the VI⁷ chord in a VI⁷-ii⁷-V⁷-I progression. Some modal jazz compositions, such as " Nardis" by Miles Davis, are composed in the Phrygian dominant mode.

See also

* Minor gypsy scale
* Hungarian minor scale
* Ukrainian Dorian scale
* Flamenco mode
* Mixolydian mode#Moloch scale
* Neapolitan chord

Notes

Further reading

*Hewitt, Michael. ''Musical Scales of the World''. The Note Tree. 2013. .

{{scales

Flamenco
Heptatonic scales
Hemitonic scales
Tritonic scales
Musical scales with augmented seconds