E Phrygian Dominant

The notes and why they sound like that

E Phrygian Dominant is the fifth mode of A harmonic minor. Same seven notes as A harmonic minor, but you sit on the E and treat it as home. The thing that makes it sound like itself is the b2 (F) against the major 3rd (G#) — a minor second on top of a major chord. That augmented second between F and G# is the "Spanish/Middle-Eastern" gap, and the b6 (C) pulls hard back down to the 5th (B).

Harmonised (as it sits inside A harmonic minor):

Two vamps cover 90% of the use cases: E → F (the flamenco cadence, play it as bare triads) and E7b9 → Am (the jazz cadence, this mode is literally "the V7b9 of A minor"). Everything below is built to serve those two sounds.

Two ways to hear it in your hands: the Landau/Henderson way is to think E7 with a b9 and b13 available — dominant vocabulary with two sour notes added. The metal/flamenco way is to think E major with the F glued to it. Both are right; practise both mental models.

Position zones (whole neck)

Zone 1 — open / 1st position

e|----------------------------------------------0--1--4--|
B|-------------------------------------0--1--3-----------|
G|----------------------------1--2--4--------------------|
D|-------------------0--2--3-----------------------------|
A|----------0--2--3--------------------------------------|
E|-0--1--4-----------------------------------------------|

Zone 2 — 2nd–5th fret

e|-------------------------------------4--5--|
B|-------------------------------3--5--------|
G|----------------------2--4--5--------------|
D|----------------2--3-----------------------|
A|-------2--3--5-----------------------------|
E|-4--5--------------------------------------|

Zone 3 — 4th–8th fret

e|-------------------------------------------4--5--7--8--|
B|-------------------------------------5--6--------------|
G|----------------------------4--5--7--------------------|
D|----------------------6--7-----------------------------|
A|-------------5--7--8-----------------------------------|
E|-4--5--7--8--------------------------------------------|

Zone 4 — 7th–10th fret

e|--------------------------------------------7--8--10--|
B|-------------------------------------9--10------------|
G|---------------------------7--9--10-------------------|
D|-----------------7--9--10-----------------------------|
A|-----------7--8---------------------------------------|
E|-7--8--10---------------------------------------------|

Zone 5 — 9th–13th fret

e|----------------------------------------------------------10--12--13--|
B|-------------------------------------------9--10--12--13--------------|
G|--------------------------------9--10--13-----------------------------|
D|---------------------9--10--12----------------------------------------|
A|-------------11--12---------------------------------------------------|
E|-10--12--13-----------------------------------------------------------|

Zone 6 — 12th position (octave of zone 1)

e|-------------------------------------------------------------12--13--16--|
B|-------------------------------------------------12--13--15--------------|
G|-------------------------------------13--14--16--------------------------|
D|-------------------------12--14--15--------------------------------------|
A|-------------12--14--15--------------------------------------------------|
E|-12--13--16--------------------------------------------------------------|

Root E is on: low E 0/12, A 7, D 2/14, G 9, B 5, high e 0/12. In every zone, find the E first, then the F a half step above it, then the G#. That trio is the sound; the other four notes are connective tissue.

Drill per zone: ascend and descend in quavers at 80 bpm, then play only the 1–b2–3 cluster in that zone, then ascend the zone but stop on every F and resolve it down to E.

Three-notes-per-string patterns

Seven patterns, one per scale degree, three notes on every string. Patterns are given from a sensible starting fret; they repeat 12 frets up. Alternate pick throughout — the augmented second (F→G#) is a three-fret stretch that shows up on a different string in every pattern, and that's what these are for.

Pattern 1 — starts on E (1)

e|-------------------------------------------------------------13--16--17--|
B|-------------------------------------------------13--15--17--------------|
G|-------------------------------------13--14--16--------------------------|
D|-------------------------12--14--15--------------------------------------|
A|-------------12--14--15--------------------------------------------------|
E|-12--13--16--------------------------------------------------------------|

Pattern 2 — starts on F (b2)

e|----------------------------------------------4--5--7--|
B|-------------------------------------3--5--6-----------|
G|----------------------------2--4--5--------------------|
D|-------------------2--3--6-----------------------------|
A|----------2--3--5--------------------------------------|
E|-1--4--5-----------------------------------------------|

Pattern 3 — starts on G# (3)

e|----------------------------------------------5--7--8--|
B|-------------------------------------5--6--9-----------|
G|----------------------------4--5--7--------------------|
D|-------------------3--6--7-----------------------------|
A|----------3--5--7--------------------------------------|
E|-4--5--7-----------------------------------------------|

Pattern 4 — starts on A (4)

e|-----------------------------------------------7--8--10--|
B|-------------------------------------6--9--10------------|
G|----------------------------5--7--9----------------------|
D|-------------------6--7--9-------------------------------|
A|----------5--7--8----------------------------------------|
E|-5--7--8-------------------------------------------------|

Pattern 5 — starts on B (5)

e|----------------------------------------------------8--10--12--|
B|-----------------------------------------9--10--12-------------|
G|-------------------------------7--9--10------------------------|
D|---------------------7--9--10----------------------------------|
A|-----------7--8--11--------------------------------------------|
E|-7--8--10------------------------------------------------------|

Pattern 6 — starts on C (b6)

e|---------------------------------------------------------10--12--13--|
B|---------------------------------------------10--12--13--------------|
G|----------------------------------9--10--13--------------------------|
D|-----------------------9--10--12-------------------------------------|
A|------------8--11--12------------------------------------------------|
E|-8--10--12-----------------------------------------------------------|

Pattern 7 — starts on D (b7)

e|-------------------------------------------------------------12--13--16--|
B|-------------------------------------------------12--13--15--------------|
G|-------------------------------------10--13--14--------------------------|
D|-------------------------10--12--14--------------------------------------|
A|-------------11--12--14--------------------------------------------------|
E|-10--12--13--------------------------------------------------------------|

Sequences to run through every pattern

• Fours: 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6 … (the Paul Gilbert one)
• Threes: 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5 … — this is the natural 3NPS grouping, so it accents the string changes
• Thirds: 1-3, 2-4, 3-5 … — this exposes the augmented second beautifully; you'll hear F–A and G#–B as very different intervals
• Sixes descending: 6-5-4-3-2-1 from the top of each string pair — the Henderson-ish shape

Triad positions — E, F and G#°

Closed voicings, three inversions, four string sets. Two chords matter: E major (home) and F major (the b2 chord). Play them as a pair — every E shape has an F shape one fret up. That's the whole trick.

E major (E G# B)

strings e B G   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv

e|-0--4--7--12--|
B|-0--5--9--12--|
G|-1--4--9--13--|
D|--------------|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|

strings B G D   root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|--------------|
B|-0--5--9--12--|
G|-1--4--9--13--|
D|-2--6--9--14--|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|

strings G D A   2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|-1--4--9---13--|
D|-2--6--9---14--|
A|-2--7--11--14--|
E|---------------|

strings D A E   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-2--6--9---|
A|-2--7--11--|
E|-4--7--12--|

F major (F A C)

strings e B G   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv

e|-1--5--8---13--|
B|-1--6--10--13--|
G|-2--5--10--14--|
D|---------------|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|

strings B G D   root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|---------------|
B|-1--6--10--13--|
G|-2--5--10--14--|
D|-3--7--10--15--|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|

strings G D A   2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|-2--5--10--14--|
D|-3--7--10--15--|
A|-3--8--12--15--|
E|---------------|

strings D A E   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-3--7--10--|
A|-3--8--12--|
E|-5--8--13--|

G# diminished (G# B D)

strings e B G   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|-4--7--10--|
B|-3--9--12--|
G|-4--7--13--|
D|-----------|
A|-----------|
E|-----------|

strings B G D   2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|--------------|
B|-0--3--9--12--|
G|-1--4--7--13--|
D|-0--6--9--12--|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|

strings G D A   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv

e|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|-1--4--7---13--|
D|-0--6--9---12--|
A|-2--5--11--14--|
E|---------------|

strings D A E   root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-0--6--9---|
A|-2--5--11--|
E|-4--7--10--|

Drill: pick a string set. Play E root position → F root position → E. Then E 1st inv → F 1st inv → E. Then 2nd. Then go across the neck: E root (frets 0–2 area), E 1st inv, E 2nd inv, each followed by its F. That's the flamenco cadence in twelve places.

Then the jazz version: play the E triad, then the G#° triad in the same area — G#° is E7b9 with no root, so E → G#° → Am is the V7b9–i cadence in three-note chunks.

Sixths and thirds — where they are

Harmonised scale on string pairs. Sixths are the money interval for this mode — they sound like a Spanish guitar or an Ennio Morricone cue on their own — and they're where Landau lives when he's playing "chordal" lines. Thirds are included because the augmented second makes one of the diatonic thirds a major third that's actually spelt as a second (F–G#), and you want your fingers to know that spot.

Pairs are lower-string / upper-string. Read each column as one two-note chord, ascending the neck.

Diatonic 6ths

G / e

e|-0--1--4--5--7--8--10--12--13--|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-1--2--4--5--7--9--10--13--14--|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|

D / B

e|-----------------------------------|
B|-0--1--3--5--6--9--10--12--13--15--|
G|-----------------------------------|
D|-0--2--3--6--7--9--10--12--14--15--|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

A / G

e|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|
G|-1--2--4--5--7--9---10--13--14--|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-2--3--5--7--8--11--12--14--15--|
E|--------------------------------|

E / D

e|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|
G|----------------------------|
D|-0--2--3--6--7--9---10--12--|
A|----------------------------|
E|-1--4--5--7--8--10--12--13--|

Diatonic 3rds

B / e

e|-0--1--4--5--7--8---10--12--13--|
B|-1--3--5--6--9--10--12--13--15--|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

G / B

e|-------------------------------|
B|-0--1--3--5--6--9--10--12--13--|
G|-1--2--4--5--7--9--10--13--14--|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|

D / G

e|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|
G|-1--2--4--5--7--9---10--13--14--|
D|-2--3--6--7--9--10--12--14--15--|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

A / D

e|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|-0--2--3--6--7--9---10--12--14--|
A|-2--3--5--7--8--11--12--14--15--|
E|--------------------------------|

Drill for 6ths: play the G/e pair ascending with a light palm mute and a slow tremolo picking on each pair (flamenco). Then play them as hybrid-picked pairs (pick + middle finger) with slides between positions — that's the Landau move. Finally, play only the pairs whose lower note is E, F or G# and go between them: that's the harmonised 1–b2–3 and it is the mode in two notes.

Arpeggios in one zone

Four arpeggios, each in one zone (7th–10th fret area, so they overlap the zone-4 scale above). Every one of these is a subset of the same seven notes, so once the scale is under your fingers these are just "leave some out".

E7 (E G# B D)

the plain dominant — safe, home

e|-----------------------7--10--|
B|--------------------9---------|
G|--------------7--9------------|
D|-----------9------------------|
A|--------7---------------------|
E|-7--10------------------------|

E7b9 = G#°7 over E (E G# B D F)

add the F: this is the sound

e|------------------------------7--10--|
B|---------------------------9---------|
G|-----------------7--9--10------------|
D|--------------9----------------------|
A|--------7--8-------------------------|
E|-7--10-------------------------------|

Fmaj7 (F A C E)

the bII chord; played over E it gives you b2, 4, b6 and root — pure tension

e|----------------------------8--|
B|------------------------10-----|
G|-----------------9--10---------|
D|----------7--10----------------|
A|----7--8-----------------------|
E|-8-----------------------------|

G#°7 (G# B D F)

symmetrical; move it up or down three frets and it's still in the mode

e|------------------------7--10--|
B|---------------------9---------|
G|--------------7--10------------|
D|-----------9-------------------|
A|--------8----------------------|
E|-7--10-------------------------|

Drill: over an E drone, play E7 arp up, Fmaj7 arp down. Then G#°7 up, E triad down. You're outlining the two cadences without ever playing the scale.

Vocabulary

Lick 1 — the b2 sting

F leaning on E on three strings, then falling to the low E. Play the F short, the E long.

e|-12--13--12----------------------------------|
B|-------------12--13--12----------------------|
G|-------------------------13--10--9-----------|
D|------------------------------------9--7-----|
A|------------------------------------------7--|
E|---------------------------------------------|

Lick 2 — the F→G# jump

The augmented second on three different strings. This is the interval people mean when they say 'Phrygian dominant'.

e|-12--13--16--13--12------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------10--13--10--9---------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------8--11--8--7--|
E|-------------------------------------------------|

Lick 3 — sixths up and back

Hybrid pick each pair, slide between them. The first and last pair (E over C) is home.

e|-8--10--12--13--12--10--8--|
B|---------------------------|
G|-9--10--13--14--13--10--9--|
D|---------------------------|
A|---------------------------|
E|---------------------------|

Lick 4 — V7b9 into Am

Falls through E7b9 tones and lands on A (the iv). Use it when the vamp goes E7 → Am.

e|-13--12---------------------------------|
B|---------12-----------------------------|
G|-------------13--10---------------------|
D|---------------------12--9--6--------7--|
A|-------------------------------8--7-----|
E|----------------------------------------|

Lick 5 — low pedal figure

Open-string riff. Palm mute, try it as triplets and as straight eights; the open A is the iv sneaking in.

e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------0-----2--3--2-----------|
E|-0--1--0--4--0--1--0-----0-----------4--1--0--|

Week plan

Backing: an E drone is enough for the first week. After that, E7 ↔ Fmaj7 at 90 bpm, straight eighths. When it's under your fingers, transpose the whole pack to A Phrygian Dominant (D harmonic minor) — everything moves up five frets and your A-root drone file works over it.