Phrygian Mode/Scale: Interactive Piano & Guitar Reference with Chords
🎨 A visual piano and guitar reference to the Phrygian mode (aka Phrygian
scale), which is the 3rd mode of the major scale.
The Phrygian mode is created from the major scale by
flattening the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th scale degrees. The
Phrygian mode is minor-sounding and sounds Eastern or Spanish.
This reference includes the notes and chords on the piano keyboard for each
Phrygian scale.
Phrygian mode formula:
1 - b2 - b3 - 4 - 5 -
b6 - b7
Phrygian Mode: Reference Table
First, a reference table for the Phrygian mode/scale for all the keys. The keys are in order of 5ths, as with the circle of fifths. This illustrates the close relationship between keys that are a 5th distance apart.
i | II | III | iv | v° | VI | vii | i | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ | C | |
G | A♭ | B♭ | C | D | E♭ | F | G | |
D | E♭ | F | G | A | B♭ | C | D | |
A | B♭ | C | D | E | F | G | A | |
E | F | G | A | B | C | D | E | |
B | C | D | E | F♯ | G | A | B | |
F♯ | G | A | B | C♯ | D | E | F♯ | |
D♭ | E♭♭ | F♭ | G♭ | A♭ | B♭♭ | C♭ | D♭ | |
A♭ | B♭♭ | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F♭ | G♭ | A♭ | |
E♭ | F♭ | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | |
B♭ | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | |
F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F |
Phrygian Mode on Guitar
Here you can visualize the different keys of the Phrygian mode on the guitar fretboard. You can highlight the notes in each of the phrygian scales using the CAGED or the Three Notes Per String (TNPS) systems.
Select a Key:
Scale:
Phrygian Mode on Piano
And now for each of the keys/scales in more detail. Tip: click the lock icon to trigger the chords of that key using buttons 1 through 7 on your keyboard.
C Phrygian
notes: C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭
relative key: A♭ major
- C
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G
- A♭
- B♭
- C
chords in the key of C Phrygian
D Phrygian
notes: D E♭ F G A B♭ C
relative key: B♭ major
- D
- E♭
- F
- G
- A
- B♭
- C
- D
chords in the key of D Phrygian
E Phrygian
notes: E F G A B C D
relative key: C major
- E
- F
- G
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
chords in the key of E Phrygian
F Phrygian
notes: F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭
relative key: C♯ major
- F
- G♭
- A♭
- B♭
- C
- D♭
- E♭
- F
chords in the key of F Phrygian
G Phrygian
notes: G A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F
relative key: D♯ major
- G
- A♭
- B♭
- C
- D
- E♭
- F
- G
chords in the key of G Phrygian
A Phrygian
notes: A B♭ C D E F G
relative key: F major
- A
- B♭
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- A
chords in the key of A Phrygian
B Phrygian
notes: B C D E F♯ G A
relative key: G major
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F♯
- G
- A
- B
chords in the key of B Phrygian
C♯ / D♭ Phrygian
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
- C♯
chords in the key of C♯ Phrygian
D♯ / E♭ Phrygian
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A♯
- B
- C♯
- D♯
chords in the key of D♯ Phrygian
F♯ / G♭ Phrygian
- F♯
- G
- A
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
chords in the key of F♯ Phrygian
G♯ / A♭ Phrygian
- G♯
- A
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
chords in the key of G♯ Phrygian
A♯ / B♭ Phrygian
- A♯
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E♯
- F♯
- G♯
- A♯
chords in the key of A♯ Phrygian
Piano Samples
The piano samples used for this phrygian scale reference are from “Salamander Grand Piano V3” by Alexander Holm, licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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