A Phrygian Scale

A phrygian

Notes

A · B♭ · C · D · E · F · G

Intervals

  • RootA (1P)
  • Minor 2ndB♭ (2m)
  • Minor 3rdC (3m)
  • Perfect 4thD (4P)
  • Perfect 5thE (5P)
  • Minor 6thF (6m)
  • Minor 7thG (7m)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912EFGAB♭CDECDEFGAB♭GAB♭CDEFGDEFGAB♭CDAB♭CDEFGAEFGAB♭CDE
Open in visualizer →

Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.

Modal character

A Phrygian is the 3rd mode of F Major — the same seven notes started from its 3rd degree.

1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

Characteristic note — flat 2nd (♭2). The ♭2 a half-step above the root gives Phrygian its dark, Spanish color — the defining sound of flamenco and a lot of metal.

Phrygian sits over minor 7th voicings and minor vamps. In functional harmony it is the mode of the iii chord; raise its 3rd and you get the Phrygian dominant heard over the V chord in minor keys.

Chords that use this mode

3-Notes-Per-String positions

Seven movable patterns, each covering all 6 strings with 3 consecutive scale tones per string. Root notes are shown in red.

All 7 patterns
Pattern 1open · frets 0–5
EBGDAE35EFGAB♭CDEFGAB♭CDEFGA
Pattern 2frets 1–6
EBGDAE357FGAB♭CDEFGAB♭CDEFGAB♭
Pattern 3frets 3–8
EBGDAE3579GAB♭CDEFGAB♭CDEFGAB♭C
Pattern 4frets 5–10
EBGDAE579AB♭CDEFGAB♭CDEFGAB♭CD
Pattern 5frets 6–12
EBGDAE791213B♭CDEFGAB♭CDEFGAB♭CDE
Pattern 6frets 8–13
EBGDAE9121314CDEFGAB♭CDEFGAB♭CDEF
Pattern 7frets 10–15
EBGDAE1213141516DEFGAB♭CDEFGAB♭CDEFG

Quartal voicings

Stacked perfect 4ths across four adjacent strings, sorted nut to heel. Root notes are circled in red.

All voicings
EBGDAE3EADG
E root
EBGDAE3ADGC
A root
EBGDAE3DGCF
D root
EBGDAE35GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE57DGCF
D root
EBGDAE35EADG
E root
EBGDAE57ADGC
A root
EBGDAE79EADG
E root
EBGDAE57GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE1213DGCF
D root
EBGDAE1213GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE79ADGC
A root

Diagrams

A Phrygian Scale fretboard charts — tap any diagram to open it full size to save or print.

A Phrygian Scale — notes A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G shown across the full guitar fretboard, frets 0 to 12.
Whole neck — frets 0–12
A Phrygian Scale — seven 3-notes-per-string positions shown as fretboard neck slices.
Seven 3NPS positions
A Phrygian Scale — quartal voicings shown as chord-box diagrams for all four roots.
Quartal voicings — 3 string sets, sorted nut to heel