C Phrygian mode on guitar
The C Phrygian mode has seven notes: C, D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭ and B♭ (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 | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | ♭2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | half | whole | whole | whole | half | whole | whole |
5 positions to learn it in
On guitar a seven-note scale is learnt in five shapes, each built round one of the open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D. Together they cover the neck. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the C Phrygian mode
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; C (Cm) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (C) | Cmhome | Cm7home |
| ♭2 (D♭) | D♭colour | D♭maj7colour |
| ♭3 (E♭) | E♭daylight | E♭7daylight |
| 4 (F) | Fmsoft fall | Fm7soft fall |
| 5 (G) | Gdimthe edge | Gm7♭5the edge |
| ♭6 (A♭) | A♭cinematic | A♭maj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (B♭) | B♭msoft fall | B♭m7soft fall |
Scales with the same notes
It has the same notes as the A♭ major scale, started from its third note, C.
Questions
What notes are in the C Phrygian mode?
C, D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭ and B♭. 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 C Phrygian mode?
The chords made only of its notes: Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm, Gdim, A♭ and B♭m, and as seventh chords Cm7, D♭maj7, E♭7, Fm7, Gm7♭5, A♭maj7 and B♭m7. C is home: Cm is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The Phrygian mode in every key
Other scales in C
C majorC minorC minor pentatonicC major pentatonicC bluesC DorianC MixolydianC LydianC harmonic minorC melodic minorC Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: guitar scales. This scale on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.