G♯ Phrygian mode on guitar
The G♯ Phrygian mode has seven notes: G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E and F♯ (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 | G♯ | A | B | C♯ | D♯ | E | F♯ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 G♯ Phrygian mode
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; G♯ (G♯m) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (G♯) | G♯mhome | G♯m7home |
| ♭2 (A) | Acolour | Amaj7colour |
| ♭3 (B) | Bdaylight | B7daylight |
| 4 (C♯) | C♯msoft fall | C♯m7soft fall |
| 5 (D♯) | D♯dimthe edge | D♯m7♭5the edge |
| ♭6 (E) | Ecinematic | Emaj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (F♯) | F♯msoft fall | F♯m7soft fall |
Scales with the same notes
It has the same notes as the E major scale, started from its third note, G♯.
Questions
What notes are in the G♯ Phrygian mode?
G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E and F♯. 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 G♯ Phrygian mode?
The chords made only of its notes: G♯m, A, B, C♯m, D♯dim, E and F♯m, and as seventh chords G♯m7, Amaj7, B7, C♯m7, D♯m7♭5, Emaj7 and F♯m7. G♯ is home: G♯m is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The Phrygian mode in every key
Other scales in G♯
A♭ majorG♯ minorG♯ minor pentatonicA♭ major pentatonicG♯ bluesG♯ DorianA♭ MixolydianA♭ LydianG♯ harmonic minorG♯ melodic minorA♭ 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.