Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
B♭ 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: F♯ major (this mode starts on its 3rd degree)
- Relative minor: E♭ natural minor (starts on the 6th degree of F♯ major)
- Compared with B♭ major: ♭2 C → C♭, ♭3 D → D♭, ♭6 G → G♭, ♭7 A → A♭
- Compared with B♭ natural minor: ♭2 C → C♭
B♭ 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 B♭ Phrygian
Every chord in B♭ Phrygian
- B♭m71/13easyfret 1· shell
- C♭maj71/20easyfret 7· shell
- D♭71/19easyfret 6· shell
- E♭m71/16easyfret 6· shell
- Fm7♭51/12easyfret 1· shell
- G♭maj71/19easyfret 2· shell
- A♭m71/18easyfret 4· shell
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in B♭ 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 B♭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 B♭ 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.