Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
F♯ 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: D major (this mode starts on its 3rd degree)
- Relative minor: B natural minor (starts on the 6th degree of D major)
- Compared with F♯ major: ♭2 G♯ → G, ♭3 A♯ → A, ♭6 D♯ → D, ♭7 E♯ → E
- Compared with F♯ natural minor: ♭2 G♯ → G
F♯ 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 F♯ Phrygian
Every chord in F♯ Phrygian
- F♯m71/13easyfret 2· shell
- Gmaj71/22easyopen
- A71/21easyopen
- Bm71/17easyopen
- C♯m7♭51/12easyfret 4· shell
- Dmaj71/21easyopen
- Em71/21easyopen
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in F♯ 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 F♯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 F♯ 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.