Metal Guitar Scales & Modes — Phrygian, Harmonic Minor & More

Metal guitar is built on the darkest modal territory — modes that emphasize tension, dissonance, and power. The Dead Sea Scales system maps all of them.

Core Metal Guitar Scales

• Phrygian — 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 — Dark and aggressive. The ♭2 creates the signature metal tension.
• Phrygian Dominant — 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 — Dimebag Darrell, Megadeth. Exotic and powerful.
• Aeolian (Natural Minor) — 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 — The backbone of 90% of metal riffs.
• Harmonic Minor — 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 — Classical metal (Yngwie Malmsteen). The raised 7th creates dramatic tension.
• Locrian — 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 — The most extreme mode. Extreme metal and avant-garde.
• Diminished (Octatonic) — 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7 — 8-note scale. Symmetrical tension favored in death and prog metal.

Power Chords and Modal Choice

Power chords (root + 5th only, no 3rd) work with any mode — major OR minor. This is why metal guitarists can freely use Phrygian, Aeolian, and Harmonic Minor over the same power chord riff and create wildly different moods.

Explore All Modes & Scales — Free Interactive Tool

Dead Sea Scales™ is a free interactive guitar tool with all 7 diatonic modes, 42 total scales, audio playback, and printable reference posters. No login required.