F Phrygian mode on guitar
The F Phrygian mode has seven notes: F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭ and E♭ (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 | F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 F Phrygian mode
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; F (Fm) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (F) | Fmhome | Fm7home |
| ♭2 (G♭) | G♭colour | G♭maj7colour |
| ♭3 (A♭) | A♭daylight | A♭7daylight |
| 4 (B♭) | B♭msoft fall | B♭m7soft fall |
| 5 (C) | Cdimthe edge | Cm7♭5the edge |
| ♭6 (D♭) | D♭cinematic | D♭maj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (E♭) | E♭msoft fall | E♭m7soft fall |
Scales with the same notes
It has the same notes as the D♭ major scale, started from its third note, F.
Questions
What notes are in the F Phrygian mode?
F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭ and E♭. 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 F Phrygian mode?
The chords made only of its notes: Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m, Cdim, D♭ and E♭m, and as seventh chords Fm7, G♭maj7, A♭7, B♭m7, Cm7♭5, D♭maj7 and E♭m7. F is home: Fm is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The Phrygian mode in every key
Other scales in F
F majorF minorF minor pentatonicF major pentatonicF bluesF DorianF MixolydianF LydianF harmonic minorF melodic minorF 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.