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Guitar scale · exotic

B Ultraphrygian Scale

Mode 3 of Double Harmonic Major: Phrygian with a lowered 4th and a doubly flattened 7th (𝄫7).

Notes BCDEbF#GAb
Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 5 ♭6 𝄫7
Steps H W H W+H H H W+H
Mood Dark, Unstable, Exotic
Heard in Modal Improvisation

Interactive scale diagram

B Ultraphrygian Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

B Ultraphrygian Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 7–11
e|-----------------------------------7-8-10-11-|
B|-------------------------------8-9-----------|
G|------------------------7-8-11---------------|
D|-------------------9-10----------------------|
A|-----------9-10-11---------------------------|
E|-7-8-10-11-----------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 9–13
e|-----------------------------------------10-11-|
B|-----------------------------------12-13-------|
G|--------------------------11-12-13-------------|
D|---------------9-10-12-13----------------------|
A|-------9-10-11---------------------------------|
E|-10-11-----------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 11–15
e|-------------------------------------------11-14-15-|
B|----------------------------------12-13-15----------|
G|-------------------------11-12-13-------------------|
D|-------------------12-13----------------------------|
A|----------11-14-15----------------------------------|
E|-11-14-15-------------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 14–18
e|-------------------------------------------14-15-16-|
B|-------------------------------------15-16----------|
G|-------------------------------16-17----------------|
D|----------------------16-17-18----------------------|
A|----------14-15-17-18-------------------------------|
E|-14-15-16-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 16–20
e|-------------------------------------------16-19-20-|
B|-------------------------------------19-20----------|
G|-------------------------16-17-19-20----------------|
D|----------------16-17-18----------------------------|
A|----------17-18-------------------------------------|
E|-16-19-20-------------------------------------------|

How to play B Ultraphrygian on guitar

Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, 𝄫7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.

Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 7–11. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 B
♭2 C
♭3 D
♭4 Eb
5 F#
♭6 G
𝄫7 Ab

Chords in B Ultraphrygian

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in B Ultraphrygian; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
i Bm — Tonic
♭ii Cm Cm(maj7) Supertonic
♭III — — Mediant
♭IV+ Ebaug Ebmaj7#5 Subdominant
V — — Dominant
♭VI G Gmaj7 Submediant
VII Ab Abmaj7 Leading tone / subtonic

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise B Ultraphrygian anywhere, even offline.

This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.

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Questions

What notes are in the B Ultraphrygian Scale?
The B Ultraphrygian Scale has 7 notes: B, C, D, Eb, F#, G, Ab.
What chords are in the B Ultraphrygian Scale?
The chords of B Ultraphrygian are Bm (i), Cm (♭ii), Ebaug (♭IV+), G (♭VI), Ab (VII).
What is the formula of the ultraphrygian scale?
1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 5 ♭6 𝄫7, which is the step pattern H W H W+H H H W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play B Ultraphrygian on the guitar?
The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Ultraphrygian Scale in every key

More scales in B