A Phrygian Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The A Phrygian scale has 7 notes: A – B♭ – C – D – E – F – G. Phrygian is a minor scale with a ♭2, one fret above the root. That dark half step gives it a Spanish, heavy feel. In Indian music it is Bhairavi thaat.

Compared with the A major scale it has ♭2 (B♭ instead of B), ♭3 (C instead of C♯), ♭6 (F instead of F♯), ♭7 (G instead of G♯).

The explorer above is set to A Phrygian: the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 7 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

A Phrygian scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from A	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	A	R	0	S
♭2	B♭	m2	1	r
♭3	C	m3	3	g
4	D	P4	5	M
5	E	P5	7	P
♭6	F	m6	8	d
♭7	G	m7	10	n

Steps between the notes: H W W W H W W (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any A and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

A Phrygian scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, A Phrygian has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on A on the low E string at fret 5; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Position 1 frets 5–10	6 8 10	6 8 10	5 7 9	5 7 8	5 7 8	5 6 8
Position 2 frets 6–12	8 10 12	8 10 11	7 9 10	7 8 10	7 8 10	6 8 10
Position 3 frets 8–13	10 12 13	10 11 13	9 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12
Position 4 frets 10–15	12 13 15	11 13 15	10 12 14	10 12 14	10 12 13	10 12 13
Position 5 frets 12–17	13 15 17	13 15 17	12 14 15	12 14 15	12 13 15	12 13 15
Position 6 frets 13–18	15 17 18	15 17 18	14 15 17	14 15 17	13 15 17	13 15 17
Position 7 frets 15–20	17 18 20	17 18 20	15 17 19	15 17 19	15 17 19	15 17 18

Chords in the A Phrygian scale

Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives these chords. They are the chords a song in A Phrygian is made from, and the chords this scale fits over.

	i	♭II	♭III	iv	v°	♭VI	♭vii
Triad	Am	B♭	C	Dm	Edim	F	Gm
7th chord	Am7	B♭maj7	C7	Dm7	Em7♭5	Fmaj7	Gm7

Where you hear it

A Phrygian is used in metal, flamenco and film music. It sounds best over minor chords, and a i – ♭II chord change.

Backing tracks to practise A Phrygian

A minor blues A minor rock A minor funk Am metal Am Bollywood

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 5–10) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every A (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on A.