A Phrygian mode on banjo
The A Phrygian mode has seven notes: A, B♭, C, D, E, F and G (1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7). A minor scale with a flat 2nd, one fret above the root. Dark and tense: metal riffs lean on that half step on the low E string, and flamenco uses it too.
| Note | A | B♭ | C | D | E | F | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | ♭2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | half | whole | whole | whole | half | whole | whole |
3 positions to learn it in
Each stretch here is a few frets you can play without moving the hand: the open position, then from the root on the lowest string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the A Phrygian mode
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; A (Am) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (A) | Amhome | Am7home |
| ♭2 (B♭) | B♭colour | B♭maj7colour |
| ♭3 (C) | Cdaylight | C7daylight |
| 4 (D) | Dmsoft fall | Dm7soft fall |
| 5 (E) | Edimthe edge | Em7♭5the edge |
| ♭6 (F) | Fcinematic | Fmaj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (G) | Gmsoft fall | Gm7soft fall |
Scales with the same notes
It has the same notes as the F major scale, started from its third note, A.
Questions
What notes are in the A Phrygian mode?
A, B♭, C, D, E, F and G. Its intervals from the root are 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, and the steps between its notes are H W W W H W W (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the A Phrygian mode?
The chords made only of its notes: Am, B♭, C, Dm, Edim, F and Gm, and as seventh chords Am7, B♭maj7, C7, Dm7, Em7♭5, Fmaj7 and Gm7. A is home: Am is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The Phrygian mode in every key
Other scales in A
A majorA minorA minor pentatonicA major pentatonicA bluesA DorianA MixolydianA LydianA harmonic minorA melodic minorA Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: banjo scales. This scale on guitar, bass, ukulele and mandolin.