What scale is this?

Axe_meister

I was playing around with the Mixolodian b6 scale when I hit the B2 by accident and then played the scale. What a wonderful scale. Big drone either with octaves on the 1 or 1&5 drone and play a melody on the b6 b7 resolving to the 1 via the 5 and the B2.

Exotic yet a little dark

viz

That’s the old phrygian dominant, or “Yngwie Malmsteen Scale Played Endlessly in E, Ready for Eventual Resolution to A Minor Twiddlings” as it’s also known. 

In the same way as Mixo b6 is the 5th mode of the melodic minor, Phryg dom is the 5th mode of harmonic minor. Both are used to provide an effective, proper, Dominant in a minor key. In other words they allow a V-i resolution, instead of a v-i resolution. 

Tannin

It is an effing brilliant scale, far more versatile than it seems at first, and used for much, much more than crappy heavy metal. (Or even good heavy metal, if there is such a thing.)

For starters, it is basic to Middle-eastern music: it is common in Egypt, Israel, and all through the Arabic world. It is an important part of Indian classical music, and it is also a significant part of flamenco and other Spanish music. Not to mention  its use in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Like you, @Axe_meister ; I first discovered it by accident, just noodling around and loved it. Only later did I figure out
(i) that it was a recognised scale, and (ii) which one. This illustrates the power of it and the natural sense that it makes - it didn't get to be such a huge part of music all over the world by chance. 

A great way to explore it on guitar is the key of F#. This gives you no less than 5 in-key open strings to salt your sound with or use as drones: you've got the 7th on the two E strings, 6th on the D, 2nd on the G, and the 4th on the B. 

Play an ordinary E shape F# barre chord. Now lift your first finger so that the first two strings are open. Using that as a base,  explore the possible melodies on the treble strings, being sure to hammer on and pull off and use those open string notes to your advantage. Keep hitting that F# in the bass (fret it with your thumb if you prefer), then drop it to E.

When you've done enough of that, the other two really useful and usable chords in the key are E minor and G (minor or major, both are in-key). Lather, rinse and repeat. 

When bored, slide up through the F# and the G to A major and then B major, all the while leaving the high E and B strings to ring out. You've just executed one of the the smoothest, most natural-sounding key changes in music. You can please yourself whether you let this take you to B mixo or A major, they both work. From the A major, twiddle around with the same melody you were playing in F# DP - yes, you are including some out of key notes, they work curiously well in A major but create a tension which you (eventually) resolve by bringing back that F# bass.

And around we go again .....  Endless fun for young and old.

joeW

A staple scale in minor jazz improv and provides plenty of colour and character.  I stumbled upon it by playing major triads starting from the root and flat 9