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♯ (F♯m) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (F♯) | F♯mhome | F♯m7home |
| ♭2 (G) | Gcolour | Gmaj7colour |
| ♭3 (A) | Adaylight | A7daylight |
| 4 (B) | Bmsoft fall | Bm7soft fall |
| 5 (C♯) | C♯dimthe edge | C♯m7♭5the edge |
| ♭6 (D) | Dcinematic | Dmaj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (E) | Emsoft fall | Em7soft 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: F♯m, G, A, Bm, C♯dim, D and Em, and as seventh chords F♯m7, Gmaj7, A7, Bm7, C♯m7♭5, Dmaj7 and Em7. F♯ is home: F♯m 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.