Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
A♭ Phrygian
♭2, the half step right above the root. Dark, tense, Spanish and flamenco flavored.
Where you hear it: i – ♭II vamps; flamenco and metal riffs.
Step pattern H – W – W – W – H – W – W
- Relative major: E major (this mode starts on its 3rd degree)
- Relative minor: D♭ natural minor (starts on the 6th degree of E major)
- Compared with A♭ major: ♭2 B♭ → B♭♭, ♭3 C → C♭, ♭6 F → F♭, ♭7 G → G♭
- Compared with A♭ natural minor: ♭2 B♭ → B♭♭
A♭ Phrygian on the guitar
Pick a position below to outline it on the neck.
in the minor pentatonic: playedother notes of Phrygian: not playedPlay runs up the position from its lowest note and back down; Sample melody plays a short tune using only its notes. Tap a position's name to see it on the neck.
Modes with the same notes as A♭ Phrygian
Every chord in A♭ Phrygian
- A♭m71/13easyfret 4· shell
- B♭♭maj71/22easyopen
- C♭71/20easyopen
- D♭m71/16easyfret 4· shell
- E♭m7♭51/12easyfret 1
- F♭maj71/20easyfret 12· shell
- G♭m71/18easyfret 2· shell
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in A♭ Phrygian
A few well-known chord loops that bring out this scale’s sound. Play one through, or tap a chord to hear it.
i – ♭II
The Phrygian signature: a half step up to the chord on the ♭2 and back. Flamenco, metal and film tension all lean on this move.
i – ♭II – ♭III – ♭II
Home, then the dark half step, then ♭III, then back to ♭II. The loop keeps leaning on the ♭2 and never settles.
iv – ♭III – ♭II – i
The descending “Andalusian” run: each root steps down and the last move, ♭II to i, is a half step onto home. In flamenco the final chord is usually made major, which is Phrygian dominant.
Sus and extension chords from each chord
From A♭m you can go through the 2nd of the scale to sus2 and 9 chords, through the 4th to sus4 and 11, and so on. All seven chords of A♭ Phrygian.
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Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.