For my fellow music "geeks"...

The verse is harmonized in the fifth mode of Harmonic Minor, known as Phrygian Dominant. Its striking beauty lies in its major third, a bright spot in an otherwise darkly minor scale. In the chorus, the melody maintains the integrity of the scale, however, the chord structure employs more of a descending chromatic structure.

Phrygian Dominant is the fifth mode of the Harmonic Minor scale, constructed by raising the third degree of the Phrygian scale by one half step. This results in a minor third interval, which gives all of the Harmonic Minor modes their mysterious allure. Commonly used in flamenco music, it's often called Spanish Phrygian. It's known also as Ahava Rabboh, Freygish or, simply, the Jewish scale when used in Hebrew prayers and Klezmer music, and when it's part of Turkish or Arabic music, its name is Hijaz.

If you wish to observe the length, breadth and depth of my obsession with scales, please visit my "Millennium Scale Concordance" by clicking on the icon below. This will open a new window.

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P H R Y G I A N   D O M I N A N T

This scale, and variations of it,
are frequently heard in progressive
rock and heavy metal, particularly in
the compositions of Joe Satriani,
who says it's his favorite scale.