Guitar scale · Phrygian mode
F Phrygian Scale
The ♭2 degree delivers distinct Spanish/Flamenco flavor or dark heavy metal tension.
Tap any note to hear it.
F Phrygian 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|-----------------------------1-2-4-| B|-------------------------2-4-------| G|-------------------1-3-5-----------| D|-------------1-3-4-----------------| A|-------1-3-4-----------------------| E|-1-2-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-6-| B|-----------------------4-6-7-----| G|-----------------3-5-6-----------| D|-----------3-4-6-----------------| A|-----3-4-6-----------------------| E|-4-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------6-8-9-| B|-----------------------6-7-9-------| G|-----------------5-6-8-------------| D|-------------6-8-------------------| A|-------6-8-9-----------------------| E|-6-8-9-----------------------------|
e|------------------------------------8-9-11-| B|-------------------------------9-11--------| G|-----------------------8-10-11-------------| D|---------------8-10-11---------------------| A|--------8-9-11-----------------------------| E|-8-9-11------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|----------------------------------11-13-14----------| G|-------------------------10-11-13-------------------| D|----------------10-11-13----------------------------| A|----------11-13-------------------------------------| E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
How to play F Phrygian on guitar
Find the root first: F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F 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 1–5. 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.
F Phrygian uses exactly the same notes as Db major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. On the guitar those are the same frets as C# major, the name it is listed under here. See the C# Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F |
| ♭2 | Gb |
| ♭3 | Ab |
| 4 | Bb |
| 5 | C |
| ♭6 | Db |
| ♭7 | Eb |
Chords in F Phrygian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F Phrygian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Fm | Fm7 | Tonic |
| ♭II | Gb | Gbmaj7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | Ab | Ab7 | Mediant |
| iv | Bbm | Bbm7 | Subdominant |
| v° | Cdim | Cm7b5 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | Db | Dbmaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Ebm | Ebm7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Practise F Phrygian anywhere, even offline.
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Questions
- What notes are in the F Phrygian Scale?
- The F Phrygian Scale has 7 notes: F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb.
- What chords are in the F Phrygian Scale?
- The chords of F Phrygian are Fm (i), Gb (♭II), Ab (♭III), Bbm (iv), Cdim (v°), Db (♭VI), Ebm (♭vii).
- What is the formula of the phrygian scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play F Phrygian on the guitar?
- The root F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 1–5, and four more positions connect it up the neck.