Soloing using E phrygian

Online Interactive Music Education


	Soloing with E Phrygian Modes are simply major scales starting from a scale degree other than the root. Play from D to D using the notes in the C major scale and you are playing D Dorian. Phrygian is the third mode built from a major scale and E phrygian works well over the 3rd and 4th measure of this Metallica riff. E phrygian - C major scale played from E to E. The freboard above shows all the notes in 7th position key of C. If you played from C to C you would be playing a C major scale. If you played from E to E you will be playing an E Phrygian scale.
	E minor pentatonic Unfortunately the E phrygian scale isn't going to sound so good over the whole progression. There are a lot of options for soloing over this riff. I personally like the key of E minor/G major for the first 2 measures and then change to the key of C major/A minor and use the E phrygian for the 3rd and 4th. Over the last 3 chords I like to play in D major/B minor. Because all the chords are power chords and have no 3rd (chord tone that determines if a chord is major or minor) we can treat each chord as major or minor. For a real change try treating the E5 as E major and play in the key of E or A. Because of Hammets solo and the use of the E minor arpeggio, it may take a minute for your ears to adjust to the major sound.
	If we use E minor/G major Pentatonic scale we can avoid both the F / F# and the C / C#. This is one of the reasons the pentatonic scale is so popular in rock.


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