Phrygian mode: notes, sound and examples

Phrygian is the third mode of the major scale, and it is the darkest of the common minor-sounding modes before Locrian. Its signature is the lowered second degree: the note right above the tonic is only a half step away. That close, grinding step gives the mode a tense, exotic and sometimes menacing character.

The Phrygian formula

In steps, Phrygian is half, whole, whole, whole, half, whole, whole: H-W-W-W-H-W-W. As scale degrees it is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Compared with the natural minor scale, one note changes: the second is lowered. Compared with the major scale on the same note, four notes are lowered: the second, third, sixth and seventh.

The lowered second is the characteristic note. If it is a half step above the tonic and the third is minor, the scale is Phrygian.

How to build Phrygian in any key

1. Write the natural minor scale of the tonic.
2. Lower the second note by a half step.
3. Or: find the major scale that starts a major third below your tonic, and play its third note to the next octave.

The second route tells you the key signature: E Phrygian uses the notes of C major, because E is the third note of C major. A Phrygian uses the notes of F major. D Phrygian uses the notes of B♭ major.

How it sounds

The half step above the tonic makes Phrygian sound dark, tense and a little exotic. It is the mode most closely linked with Spanish and flamenco music, where it is known as the Phrygian dominant when the third is major, and with heavy metal riffs, where the low half step adds menace. It is also used in film music for danger or ancient settings.

A word about the Phrygian dominant

In flamenco and some Middle Eastern music, a close relative is used: the Phrygian mode with a major third, so the pattern is 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It is sometimes called the Spanish Phrygian or the Phrygian dominant, and it is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale. It is not the same as plain Phrygian, but it shares the half step above the tonic. See the harmonic minor scale page for the parent scale.

Using Phrygian over chords

Phrygian goes with a minor chord on the tonic, and its strong flavor appears when the chord a half step above (the ♭II chord, a major chord) is used next to it. In E Phrygian, that means a move from E minor to F major. This pair of chords is the sound of the mode in a progression.

• Try a drone or a repeated low E, then play the notes of E Phrygian above it.
• Play E minor and F major chords back and forth and hear the half-step shift.
• Compare E Phrygian with E natural minor, and find the one different note.

Phrygian in practice

A good first exercise is to play a low E on the guitar or piano and let it ring, then play the notes of E Phrygian above it. The half step between E and F is heard against the drone, and the dark color is clear. Then switch to E natural minor, with F♯ in place of F, and compare.

Many players find that Phrygian works best over a repeated low note or a short riff, not over a long chord progression. The dark sound relies on the half step above the tonic being heard often enough to set the key in the ear.

One more thing to try

Write a short riff of four or five notes on the low strings or the left hand of a piano that starts on E and moves up to F and back. Add the fourth and the fifth, and repeat the pattern. You have written a Phrygian riff, and you can now change the starting note to try the mode in other keys.

Phrygian is one note darker than Aeolian and one note lighter than Locrian. See all the modes for the whole set.

Phrygian scale in every key

Check yourself

Related pages

• Music modes: the seven modes explained
• Aeolian mode: notes, sound and examples
• Locrian mode: notes, sound and examples
• Harmonic minor scale: formula and sound
• Minor scales: natural, harmonic and melodic
• Dorian mode: notes, sound and examples