Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
D 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: B♭ major (this mode starts on its 3rd degree)
- Relative minor: G natural minor (starts on the 6th degree of B♭ major)
- Compared with D major: ♭2 E → E♭, ♭3 F♯ → F, ♭6 B → B♭, ♭7 C♯ → C
- Compared with D natural minor: ♭2 E → E♭
D 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 D Phrygian
Every chord in D Phrygian
- Dm71/15easyopen
- E♭maj71/20easyfret 11· shell
- F71/19easyfret 1· shell
- Gm71/16easyfret 3· shell
- Am7♭51/12easyfret 5· shell
- B♭maj71/19easyfret 6· shell
- Cm71/18easyfret 3· shell
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in D 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 Dm 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 D 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.