G♯ / 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 G♯ Phrygian scale has 7 notes: G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯. 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.

G♯ and A♭ are the same pitch, so this page covers both names; the notes are spelled from G♯, the way the key is usually written. Compared with the G♯ major scale it has ♭2 (A instead of A♯), ♭3 (B instead of B♯), ♭6 (E instead of E♯), ♭7 (F♯ instead of F𝄪).

The explorer above is set to G♯ 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.

G♯ Phrygian scale notes

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

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

G♯ Phrygian scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, G♯ Phrygian has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on G♯ on the low E string at fret 4; 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 4–9	5 7 9	5 7 9	4 6 8	4 6 7	4 6 7	4 5 7
Position 2 frets 5–11	7 9 11	7 9 10	6 8 9	6 7 9	6 7 9	5 7 9
Position 3 frets 7–12	9 11 12	9 10 12	8 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 11
Position 4 frets 9–14	11 12 14	10 12 14	9 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 12	9 11 12
Position 5 frets 11–16	12 14 16	12 14 16	11 13 14	11 13 14	11 12 14	11 12 14
Position 6 frets 12–17	14 16 17	14 16 17	13 14 16	13 14 16	12 14 16	12 14 16
Position 7 frets 14–19	16 17 19	16 17 19	14 16 18	14 16 18	14 16 18	14 16 17

Chords in the G♯ Phrygian scale

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

	i	♭II	♭III	iv	v°	♭VI	♭vii
Triad	G♯m	A	B	C♯m	D♯dim	E	F♯m
7th chord	G♯m7	Amaj7	B7	C♯m7	D♯m7♭5	Emaj7	F♯m7

Where you hear it

G♯ 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 G♯ Phrygian

G♯ minor blues G♯ minor rock G♯ minor funk

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 4–9) 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 G♯ (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on G♯.