The Phrygian Dominant Bebop Scale - Guitar Diagrams, Theory, Jazz Concepts, Exercises and Lines

The Phrygian dominant bebop scale (aka Altered Bebop) contains eight tones just like all the bebop scales.

It is built the same as the Phrygian dominant scale (fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale), but with an additional note, a natural seventh (7) between the b7 and the tonic (1).

Interval Formula

The Phrygian dominant scale interval pattern is 1 - b2 (b9) - 3 - 4 (11) - 5 - b6 (b13) - b7 - 7. 

Comparison With Other Phrygian Modes

Here are three other types of Phrygian scales :

• The Phrygian mode, the third mode of the major scale. The formula is 1 - b9 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7
• The Phrygian b4 scale, third mode of the harmonic major scale is spelled 1 - b2 - b3 - b4 - 5 - b6 - b7
• The Phrygian dominant Scale, fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale. Formula is 1 - b2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7. 

Guitar Diagrams

The following two shapes show you how to play the Phrygian dominant bebop scale on guitar within one octave. 

The next two shapes show how looks the Phrygian dominant bebop scale within the space of two octaves.

Now you try the 7 shapes below that cover the whole guitar neck. Obviously, there are several possibilities of fingerings, don't hesitate to experiment you own.

Phrygian Dominant Bebop Exercises

The examples below are based on the G Phrygian dominant bebop scale (G - Ab -B - C - D - Eb - F - F#). 

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

How To Use The Phrygian Dominant Bebop Scale?

The Phrygian Dominant bebop scale is generally played over a VI7b9 chord, at the end of a jazz blues progression (I7 - VI7b9 - iim7 - V7) or over the rhythm changes turnaround  (Imaj7 - VI7b9 - iim7 - V7).

Indeed, the tones of a 7b9 chord (1-3-5-b7-b9) match perfectly with the Phrygian dominant bebop scale.

Phrygian Dominant Bebop Licks

This first example show how to play the Phrygian dominant bebop scale over the VI7b9 chord a rhythm changes turnaround.

As you see you will be playing a Bb major 7 arpeggio (Bb - D - F - A) with an added 13th (G) over Bbmaj7, the C Dorian mode (C-D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb) over Cm7 and notes from F Mixolydian (F-G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb) over F7.

This second line can be found at the end of a Bb jazz blues progression.

Three scales and one arpeggio are used :

• Bb7 Mixolydian (Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab) over the I7 chord Bb7.
• G Phrygian dominant bebop over the VI7 chord.
• C minor blues (C-Eb-F-G-Bb-B-C) over the iim7 chord (Cm7).
• F9 arpeggio (F-A-C-D-Eb) over F9.

Relationship With Diminished 7 Chords - Jazz Concepts

The Phrygian dominant bebop scale contains a diminished 7 arpeggio.

As matter of fact, the flat ninth (b9), third (3), fifth (5) and minor seventh (b7) represent the degrees of a diminished 7 arpeggio (1-b3-b5-bb7).

Diminished 7th arpeggios are symmetrical, they are made of minor thirds (3 semitones, 3 frets on the guitar).

This means that the four tones of a diminished 7 arpeggio can produce four dim7 chords.

For example Ab diminished 7 is built with Ab - B - D - F. Each tone of Abdim7 generates a dim7 chord :

• Bdim7 (B - D - F - Ab)
• Ddim7 (D - F - Ab - B)
• Fdim7 (F - Ab - B - D)

All this is to say that  you can play a G Phrygian dominant bebop scale over Abdim7, Bdim7, Ddim7 and Fdim7. In other word, you can use the Phrygian dominant bebop scale starting :

• A half step (1 semitone) below the root note of a dim7 chord.

• Two whole steps (4 semitones) below the root note of a dim7 chord.

• Five semitones above the root note of a dim7 chord.

• A whole step (2 semitones) above the root note of a dim7 chord.

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