Guitar · phrygian

E Phrygian mode on guitar

The E Phrygian mode has seven notes: E, F, G, A, B, C and D (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.

Key
Scale
The notes of the E Phrygian mode
NoteEFGABCD
Interval1 (root)♭2♭345♭6♭7
Step to the nexthalfwholewholewholehalfwholewhole
Make a practice sheet of it
The whole neckevery E Phrygian mode note from the nut to fret 15, the root a diamond
EADGBE135791215openR♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭3

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.

D shapefrets 1–5
EADGBE135♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭6♭7R♭2♭34
C shapefrets 4–7
EADGBE45745♭7R♭345♭6♭7R♭245
A shapefrets 6–10
EADGBE6795♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭2♭345♭6♭7
G shapefrets 8–12
EADGBE8912♭6♭7R♭2♭345♭6♭7R♭2♭3♭345♭6♭7R
E shapefrets 12–14
EADGBE1112R♭245♭7R♭345♭6R♭2

Chords that go with the E Phrygian mode

The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; E (Em) is where it sounds at home.

On theChordSeventh chord
root (E)EmhomeEm7home
♭2 (F)FcolourFmaj7colour
♭3 (G)GdaylightG7daylight
4 (A)Amsoft fallAm7soft fall
5 (B)Bdimthe edgeBm7♭5the edge
♭6 (C)CcinematicCmaj7cinematic
♭7 (D)Dmsoft fallDm7soft fall

Scales with the same notes

It has the same notes as the C major scale, started from its third note, E.

Questions

What notes are in the E Phrygian mode?

E, F, G, A, B, C and D. 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 E Phrygian mode?

The chords made only of its notes: Em, F, G, Am, Bdim, C and Dm, and as seventh chords Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7♭5, Cmaj7 and Dm7. E is home: Em is the chord it sounds most settled over.

The Phrygian mode in every key

CC♯DE♭EFF♯GG♯AB♭B

Other scales in E

E majorE minorE minor pentatonicE major pentatonicE bluesE DorianE MixolydianE LydianE harmonic minorE melodic minorE 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.