Guitar scale · exotic
F# Ultraphrygian Scale
Mode 3 of Double Harmonic Major: Phrygian with a lowered 4th and a doubly flattened 7th (𝄫7).
Tap any note to hear it.
F# 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.
e|-----------------------------2-3-5-6-| B|-------------------------3-4---------| G|-------------------2-3-6-------------| D|---------------4-5-------------------| A|---------4-5-6-----------------------| E|-2-3-5-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-6-| B|-------------------------7-8-----| G|-------------------6-7-8---------| D|-----------4-5-7-8---------------| A|-----4-5-6-----------------------| E|-5-6-----------------------------|
e|--------------------------------6-9-10-| B|-------------------------7-8-10--------| G|-------------------6-7-8---------------| D|---------------7-8---------------------| A|--------6-9-10-------------------------| E|-6-9-10--------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------9-10-11-| B|-----------------------------------10-11---------| G|-----------------------------11-12---------------| D|--------------------11-12-13---------------------| A|---------9-10-12-13------------------------------| E|-9-10-11-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-14-15-| B|-------------------------------------14-15----------| G|-------------------------11-12-14-15----------------| D|----------------11-12-13----------------------------| A|----------12-13-------------------------------------| E|-11-14-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play F# Ultraphrygian on guitar
Find the root first: F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F# 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 2–6. 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
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F# |
| ♭2 | G |
| ♭3 | A |
| ♭4 | Bb |
| 5 | C# |
| ♭6 | D |
| 𝄫7 | Eb |
Chords in F# Ultraphrygian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F# Ultraphrygian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | — | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Gm | Gm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♭III | — | — | Mediant |
| ♭IV+ | Bbaug | Bbmaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♭VI | D | Dmaj7 | Submediant |
| VII | Eb | Ebmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise F# 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 F# Ultraphrygian Scale?
- The F# Ultraphrygian Scale has 7 notes: F#, G, A, Bb, C#, D, Eb.
- What chords are in the F# Ultraphrygian Scale?
- The chords of F# Ultraphrygian are F#m (i), Gm (♭ii), Bbaug (♭IV+), D (♭VI), Eb (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 F# Ultraphrygian on the guitar?
- The root F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 2–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.