Flamenco Guitar Scales & Charts

When I first started studying Flamenco guitar I realized that one of the best ways to get the Flamenco 'sound' was to use this scale, which is a mode of the harmonic minor scale. It's really just like playing all the natural (not sharp or flat) notes on the guitar, and changing all the G notes to G#.

It's a really difficult thing to do if you're used to the other usual guitar modes and scales, as they are all just a variation of the diatonic scale. This scale is different because it changes the fundamental pattern that you've gotten used to.

It's called the "Phrygian Major" or "Major Phrygian" scale but I'll call it the Flamenco scale here. And as the diatonic scale has seven positions to play (root, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th), this scale lends itself to only four (root, 4th, 5th, 7th):
Flamenco Guitar Scales Chart

Download this as a Guitar Chord Chart PDF.

Flamenco Scale patterns in the Key of E

And here it is in the key of E, using patterns that use groups of open/fingered strings. The chords that fit best with them are E, F, A minor and D minor.

Flamenco Guitar Patterns E

Flamenco Scale notes in the Key of E

In the key of E, these are all the notes of the Flamenco scale up and down the neck. Once again the chords that fit best with them are E, F, A minor and D minor.

Flamenco Guitar Notes E