Phrygian scale · 7 notes
B♭ Phrygian scale on guitar
The B♭ Phrygian scale (B flat Phrygian scale) has 7 notes: B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G♭ and A♭. A minor scale with a ♭2: dark, Spanish-tinged and heavy. You may also see it written as A♯ Phrygian.
Notes
- B♭
- C♭
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G♭
- A♭
Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, tense and Spanish-flavoured
B♭ Phrygian on the whole fretboard
Every B♭ Phrygian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, B♭, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
B♭ at fret 6. 5th position: frets 5–9.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you can also hear B♭ Phrygian, see its chords with Roman numerals and chord shapes, and search all 1,870 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from B♭, the B♭ Phrygian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 6 flats (B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, G♭ and A♭). Compared with B♭ minor, it has C♭ (♭2) instead of C.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | C♭ | minor 2nd | 1 |
| ♭3 | D♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | E♭ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | F | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | G♭ | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | A♭ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in B♭ Phrygian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to B♭ Phrygian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in B♭ Phrygian.
- iB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
- ♭IIC♭C♭ · E♭ · G♭C♭maj7
- ♭IIID♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭7
- ivE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭E♭m7
- v°F°F · A♭ · C♭Fm7♭5
- ♭VIG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭G♭maj7
- ♭viiA♭mA♭ · C♭ · E♭A♭m7
Progressions to try
- B♭m – C♭ i–♭II · the Phrygian half-step
- B♭m – C♭ – D♭ – C♭ i–♭II–♭III–♭II
- B♭m – A♭m – G♭ – C♭ i–♭vii–♭VI–♭II
How to use B♭ Phrygian
Reach for it over metal riffs, flamenco-flavoured passages, and vamps where the chord a half step above the root keeps returning. Its sound is dark, tense and Spanish-flavoured.
Tip: Riff on the root and the ♭2 on your lowest string. That half-step grind is the Phrygian sound in two notes.
- B♭ Phrygian contains exactly the notes of F♯ major, played from its third note, B♭. See F♯ major.
Where to find B♭ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every B♭ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with B♭ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 6 |
| B (2nd) | 11 |
| G (3rd) | 3 |
| D (4th) | 8 |
| A (5th) | 1 |
| Low E (6th) | 6 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as B♭ Phrygian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
B♭ Phrygian scale FAQ
What notes are in the B♭ Phrygian scale?
The B♭ Phrygian scale has 7 notes: B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G♭ and A♭. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 6 flats (B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, G♭ and A♭).
What chords are in B♭ Phrygian?
Harmonising the B♭ Phrygian scale in thirds gives B♭m (i), C♭ (♭II), D♭ (♭III), E♭m (iv), F° (v°), G♭ (♭VI) and A♭m (♭vii).
Where do you play the B♭ Phrygian scale on guitar?
The root, B♭, is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 5–9, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as B♭ Phrygian?
B♭ Phrygian contains exactly the notes of F♯ major, played from its third note, B♭.