Modes · Phrygian
The Phrygian mode
Dark, tense, Spanish. Phrygian is the natural minor with a lowered 2nd. That ♭2, a half step above the root (F in E Phrygian), is the sound of flamenco and of heavy-metal riffs. Hear it over its own chords, in any key.
Jam: start the loop, then play the computer keys A S D F G H J K L: each one is the next note of the scale, so nothing you play is wrong. Or click the lit keys.Jam: start the loop and tap the lit keys. They’re all in the scale, so nothing you play is wrong.
The notes: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
E Phrygian is E F G A B C D: E to E on the white keys, the notes of C major. Its colour comes from the F, lit in the tool.
The ♭II chord a half step above the root is the giveaway: in E Phrygian, F major.
Where you hear it
Flamenco guitar lives on the move from the ♭II chord down to the root (F to E). Martin Luther's hymn Aus tiefer Not, set by Bach, is in Phrygian; so are many metal riffs. Raise its 3rd and you get Phrygian dominant, the fifth mode of the harmonic minor.
Its neighbours
From brightest to darkest, the modes go Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, Locrian. Phrygian sits between Aeolian and Locrian. Compare them all from the same note on the modes page.
Phrygian in every key
| Scale | Notes | Same notes as |
|---|---|---|
| C Phrygian | C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ | A♭ major |
| C♯ Phrygian | C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B | A major |
| D Phrygian | D – E♭ – F – G – A – B♭ – C | B♭ major |
| D♯ Phrygian | D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ | B major |
| E Phrygian | E – F – G – A – B – C – D | C major |
| F Phrygian | F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ | D♭ major |
| F♯ Phrygian | F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D – E | D major |
| G Phrygian | G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F | E♭ major |
| G♯ Phrygian | G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ | E major |
| A Phrygian | A – B♭ – C – D – E – F – G | F major |
| B♭ Phrygian | B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ | G♭ major |
| B Phrygian | B – C – D – E – F♯ – G – A | G major |
Exploring modes on a real piano? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a rhythm that drifts. Then it shows you how it should go.
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Questions people ask
What are the notes of E Phrygian?
E, F, G, A, B, C, D: the white keys from E to E, the notes of C major.
What is the formula for the Phrygian mode?
1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7. Phrygian is the natural minor with a lowered 2nd.
What does the Phrygian mode sound like?
Dark, tense, Spanish. The ♭II chord a half step above the root is the giveaway: in E Phrygian, F major.
How do I find Phrygian in any key?
Start the major scale on its 3rd note. Or play the natural minor scale from your root and lower the 2nd. The table on this page has all twelve.