Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic
E Phrygian b4 Scale
Mode 3 of Harmonic Major: Phrygian with a lowered 4th.
Tap any note to hear it.
E Phrygian b4 Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------0-1-3-4-| B|-------------------------1-3---------| G|-------------------0-1-4-------------| D|-------------0-2-3-------------------| A|---------2-3-------------------------| E|-0-1-3-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------3-4-| B|-----------------------3-5-6-----| G|-------------------4-5-----------| D|-----------2-3-5-6---------------| A|-----2-3-5-----------------------| E|-3-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-7-8-| B|-----------------------5-6-8-------| G|-----------------4-5-7-------------| D|-------------5-6-------------------| A|-------5-7-8-----------------------| E|-4-7-8-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-8-10-| B|------------------------------8-9--------| G|-----------------------7-9-10------------| D|------------------9-10-------------------| A|--------7-8-10-11------------------------| E|-7-8-10----------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|-----------------------------------12-13----------| G|------------------------9-10-12-13----------------| D|----------------9-10-12---------------------------| A|----------10-11-----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-----------------------------------------|
How to play E Phrygian b4 on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 0–4. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | E |
| ♭2 | F |
| ♭3 | G |
| ♭4 | Ab |
| 5 | B |
| ♭6 | C |
| ♭7 | D |
Chords in E Phrygian b4
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Phrygian b4; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Em7 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Fm | Fm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♭III | G | G7 | Mediant |
| ♭IV+ | Abaug | Abmaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| v° | Bdim | Bdim7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | C | Cmaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Ddim | Dm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
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Questions
- What notes are in the E Phrygian b4 Scale?
- The E Phrygian b4 Scale has 7 notes: E, F, G, Ab, B, C, D.
- What chords are in the E Phrygian b4 Scale?
- The chords of E Phrygian b4 are Em (i), Fm (♭ii), G (♭III), Abaug (♭IV+), Bdim (v°), C (♭VI), Ddim (♭vii°).
- What is the formula of the phrygian b4 scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W H W+H H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play E Phrygian b4 on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.