Spanish guitar scales are used by classical composers, flamenco guitarists and rock and jazz guitarists who wish to give their music a Spanish feel. These scales can sound very effective in many musical situations, and make a refreshing change to pentatonic and blues scales!
In this article we’ll be looking at three scales that are commonly used in Spanish and Latin music: the Spanish Gypsy scale, the Phrygian modal scale and the harmonic minor scale.
The scales are shown as diagrams and in notation with tab. Play them on your own guitar to compare their different sounds.
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One characteristic of many Spanish guitar scales is the semitone interval between the first and second notes. This is often used in traditional Spanish music. The first two scales shown below demonstrate this feature.
In the fret diagrams below, the blue notes are the root notes of the scale.
Click on the links below to see other ways of playing the scales in different positions.
The Spanish Gypsy guitar scale is widely used in Spanish music. It has an Eastern sound, and reflects the Moorish influence on Spain.
This scale is also known as the , Freygish or Jewish scale. It can also be thought of as the fifth mode of a standard . It is shown in notation and TAB below:
The Phrygian modal scale is another scale used in Spanish music, and is often used in improvisation when a Spanish sound is desired. It is the third mode of a major scale. (See and for more information).
The Phrygian modal scale is shown below in TAB & notation:
Another scale widely used in Spanish music is the harmonic minor scale. Although not strictly a Spanish guitar scale (it is used in many forms of music), the harmonic minor scale is often used in flamenco improvisation.
For more information on this scale, see: . TAB for this scale is shown below:
Although there are many other scales in use in Spanish guitar music, the three scales shown above are very widely used in flamenco and traditional music of the region. Incorporate them in your playing to give your music an instant Spanish or Latin sound.
The guitar has long been associated with Spain, and is the Spanish national instrument. The origins of the modern guitar in all of its shapes and forms can be traced back to early fretted instruments played in the region.
Guitar Command has created a special album of backing tracks that allows guitarists to improvise with specific scales.
Find out more (and hear sample tracks) here: .
The album is also available from many other online stores, including .