G Phrygian Scale

G phrygian

Notes

G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D · E♭ · F

Intervals

  • RootG (1P)
  • Minor 2ndA♭ (2m)
  • Minor 3rdB♭ (3m)
  • Perfect 4thC (4P)
  • Perfect 5thD (5P)
  • Minor 6thE♭ (6m)
  • Minor 7thF (7m)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912FGA♭B♭CDE♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭GA♭B♭CDE♭FGDE♭FGA♭B♭CDB♭CDE♭FGA♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭
Open in visualizer →

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

Modal character

G Phrygian is the 3rd mode of E♭ 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♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭
Pattern 2frets 3–8
EBGDAE3579GA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭C
Pattern 3frets 4–10
EBGDAE579A♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CD
Pattern 4frets 6–11
EBGDAE7912B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭
Pattern 5frets 8–13
EBGDAE9121314CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭F
Pattern 6frets 10–15
EBGDAE1213141516DE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FG
Pattern 7frets 11–16
EBGDAE121314151617E♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭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
EBGDAE35CFB♭E♭
C root
EBGDAE3DGCF
D root
EBGDAE35GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE57DGCF
D root
EBGDAE35FB♭E♭A♭
F root
EBGDAE9CFB♭E♭
C root
EBGDAE9FB♭E♭A♭
F root
EBGDAE57GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE1213DGCF
D root
EBGDAE1213GCFB♭
G root
EBGDAE1213CFB♭E♭
C root

Diagrams

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

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