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♯ (C♯m) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (C♯) | C♯mhome | C♯m7home |
| ♭2 (D) | Dcolour | Dmaj7colour |
| ♭3 (E) | Edaylight | E7daylight |
| 4 (F♯) | F♯msoft fall | F♯m7soft fall |
| 5 (G♯) | G♯dimthe edge | G♯m7♭5the edge |
| ♭6 (A) | Acinematic | Amaj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (B) | Bmsoft fall | Bm7soft 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: C♯m, D, E, F♯m, G♯dim, A and Bm, and as seventh chords C♯m7, Dmaj7, E7, F♯m7, G♯m7♭5, Amaj7 and Bm7. C♯ is home: C♯m is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The Phrygian mode in every key
Other scales in C♯
D♭ majorC♯ minorC♯ minor pentatonicD♭ major pentatonicC♯ bluesC♯ DorianD♭ MixolydianD♭ LydianC♯ harmonic minorC♯ melodic minorD♭ 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.