E Phrygian Scale

E phrygian

Notes

E · F · G · A · B · C · D

Intervals

  • RootE (1P)
  • Minor 2ndF (2m)
  • Minor 3rdG (3m)
  • Perfect 4thA (4P)
  • Perfect 5thB (5P)
  • Minor 6thC (6m)
  • Minor 7thD (7m)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912EFGABCDEBCDEFGABGABCDEFGDEFGABCDABCDEFGAEFGABCDE
Open in visualizer →

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

Modal character

E Phrygian is the 3rd mode of C 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
EBGDAE35EFGABCDEFGABCDEFGA
Pattern 2frets 1–7
EBGDAE357FGABCDEFGABCDEFGAB
Pattern 3frets 3–8
EBGDAE3579GABCDEFGABCDEFGABC
Pattern 4frets 5–10
EBGDAE579ABCDEFGABCDEFGABCD
Pattern 5frets 7–12
EBGDAE791213BCDEFGABCDEFGABCDE
Pattern 6frets 8–13
EBGDAE9121314CDEFGABCDEFGABCDEF
Pattern 7frets 10–15
EBGDAE1213141516DEFGABCDEFGABCDEFG

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
EBGDAE57ADGC
A root
EBGDAE35BEAD
B root
EBGDAE35EADG
E root
EBGDAE79BEAD
B root
EBGDAE57DGCF
D root
EBGDAE79ADGC
A root
EBGDAE1213DGCF
D root
EBGDAE79EADG
E root
EBGDAE912BEAD
B root

Diagrams

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

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