What is 7-string guitar tuning?

Standard 7-string tuning is B-E-A-D-G-B-E, which adds a low B string below the standard 6-string guitar. This gives you five extra semitones of low-end range while keeping all standard guitar fingerings intact on the upper six strings.

What scales work on a 7-string guitar?

All standard scales work on a 7-string guitar. The B natural minor, B Phrygian, and B Locrian scales are particularly popular in metal. The extended range also makes the harmonic minor and diminished scales more dramatic.

Is a 7-string guitar harder to play?

The wider neck takes some adjustment, but most players adapt within a few weeks. Standard 6-string chord shapes and scales work identically on the top six strings, so existing knowledge transfers directly.

C Phrygian Guitar Scale

Guitar scale in 7-string tuning — fretboard diagram

Tuning

Frets

C Phrygian in 7-string — Notes and Intervals

The C Phrygian scale is the third mode of the major scale, defined by its immediate dark and tense character. On Guitar, its notes are C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb. It has a strong Spanish or ethnic flavor, making it the definitive sound of Flamenco. In modern contexts, it is widely used in heavy metal to create an aggressive, brooding atmosphere. The diatonic chords of C Phrygian are Cm7, DbMaj7, Eb7, Fm7, Gm7b5, AbMaj7, Bbm7. Commonly used in Flamenco, Metal, Djent, Middle Eastern. Notable players include Al Di Meola, Metallica, Meshuggah, Paco de Lucia. Use over sus(b9), m7 chords in Phrygian contexts. Often played over a droning root note or power chord. The b2 → 1 resolution is the mode's signature move.

Notes: C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb

Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6m, 7m

Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

Formula: H-W-W-W-H-W-W

Number of notes: 7

Tuning: 7-string (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)

Diatonic Chords

Cm7 — D♭Maj7 — E♭7 — Fm7 — Gm7♭5 — A♭Maj7 — B♭m7

About 7-string Tuning

The 7-string guitar adds a low B string below the standard 6-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E), extending the instrument's range into bass territory. This extra low end has become essential in progressive metal, djent, and modern heavy music, enabling crushing low-end riffs while maintaining access to standard guitar voicings on the upper strings.

Pioneered by jazz guitarist George Van Eps and later brought into the metal mainstream by Steve Vai and Korn, the 7-string guitar has become a staple of modern heavy music. Players like Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, and John Petrucci have pushed the instrument's capabilities into new territory, using the extended range for complex harmonic progressions, polyrhythmic riffs, and sweeping arpeggios that span an enormous tonal range.

Progressive MetalDjentTechnical Death MetalJazz FusionAmbient

Notable artists: Dream Theater, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Korn, Meshuggah

Best for: Progressive metal riffs, extended-range chord voicings, djent rhythms, and jazz fusion harmony

Musical Character

DarkAggressiveUrgentExotic

The b2 interval from the root creates an immediate sense of tension and 'danger'. This single semitone is what gives Phrygian its unmistakable flamenco/metal character.

Chord Progressions Using This Scale

i – VII – VI – V (Andalusian Cadence)World / Flamenco — Tension & Drama

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in 7-string tuning