G# Phrygian Dominant Scale

5th mode of harmonic minor. The Middle-Eastern / metal exotic sound.

Labels

Root KeyC C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Full neck(1 / 6)

Tap any note on the fretboard to hear it. Root notes are highlighted in brand blue and marked R in interval mode.

Root

G#

Formula

1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7

Notes

G# A C C# D# E F#

Difficulty

Advanced

Common Genres

MetalFlamenco

Famous Guitarists Who Use It

Marty Friedman · Al Di Meola

Signature Licks & Ideas

b2 → 3 leap gives you the 'Miserlou' surf/metal signature.

How to Practice

Play the scale one octave, ascending and descending, on a single string first.
Then play it across the strings in position — index finger anchored on the root fret.
Loop it slowly with a metronome (start at 60 bpm) before pushing tempo.
Improvise over a backing track in the same key — target the root note on beat 1.

Try This Scale in Another Key

C Phrygian Dominant C# Phrygian Dominant D Phrygian Dominant D# Phrygian Dominant E Phrygian Dominant F Phrygian Dominant F# Phrygian Dominant G Phrygian Dominant G# Phrygian Dominant A Phrygian Dominant A# Phrygian Dominant B Phrygian Dominant

Related Scales in G#

G# Major G# Natural Minor G# Pentatonic Major G# Pentatonic Minor G# Blues G# Harmonic Minor G# Melodic Minor G# Dorian

Practice Essentials

Editor-picked gear that makes practice easier. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Boss DB-30 Dr. Beat

Compact, loud enough for practice — polyrhythm support.

Korg TM-60 Tuner-Metronome

Combo device that hangs off a music stand.

Soundbrenner Pulse

Wearable vibrating metronome — feel the click.

Never Miss a Guitar Breakthrough

Get weekly guitar tips, exclusive lessons, gear recommendations, and new Practice Hub updates.