C Phrygian Scale

C phrygian

Notes

C · D♭ · E♭ · F · G · A♭ · B♭

Intervals

  • RootC (1P)
  • Minor 2ndD♭ (2m)
  • Minor 3rdE♭ (3m)
  • Perfect 4thF (4P)
  • Perfect 5thG (5P)
  • Minor 6thA♭ (6m)
  • Minor 7thB♭ (7m)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭GA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGE♭FGA♭B♭CD♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭
Open in visualizer →

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

Modal character

C Phrygian is the 3rd mode of A♭ 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 1frets 1–6
EBGDAE357FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭
Pattern 2frets 3–8
EBGDAE3579GA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭C
Pattern 3frets 4–9
EBGDAE579A♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭
Pattern 4frets 6–11
EBGDAE7912B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭
Pattern 5frets 8–13
EBGDAE9121314CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭F
Pattern 6frets 9–15
EBGDAE91213141516D♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FG
Pattern 7frets 11–16
EBGDAE121314151617E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭

Quartal voicings

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

All voicings
EBGDAE3FB♭E♭A♭
F root
EBGDAE3B♭E♭A♭D♭
Bb root
EBGDAE35FB♭E♭A♭
F root
EBGDAE35GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE35CFB♭E♭
C root
EBGDAE57GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE79B♭E♭A♭D♭
Bb root
EBGDAE9FB♭E♭A♭
F root
EBGDAE9B♭E♭A♭D♭
Bb root
EBGDAE9CFB♭E♭
C root
EBGDAE1213GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE1213CFB♭E♭
C root

Diagrams

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

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