Phrygian scale · 7 notes
C♯ Phrygian scale on guitar
The C♯ Phrygian scale (C sharp Phrygian scale) has 7 notes: C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A and B. A minor scale with a ♭2: dark, Spanish-tinged and heavy. You may also see it written as D♭ Phrygian, but C♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, tense and Spanish-flavoured
C♯ Phrygian on the whole fretboard
Every C♯ Phrygian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C♯, 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
C♯ at fret 9. 8th position: frets 8–12.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C♯ Phrygian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C♯, the C♯ Phrygian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 3 sharps (C♯, F♯ and G♯). Compared with C♯ minor, it has D (♭2) instead of D♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | D | minor 2nd | 1 |
| ♭3 | E | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | F♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | A | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | B | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in C♯ Phrygian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to C♯ Phrygian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in C♯ Phrygian.
- iC♯mC♯ · E · G♯C♯m7
- ♭IIDD · F♯ · ADmaj7
- ♭IIIEE · G♯ · BE7
- ivF♯mF♯ · A · C♯F♯m7
- v°G♯°G♯ · B · DG♯m7♭5
- ♭VIAA · C♯ · EAmaj7
- ♭viiBmB · D · F♯Bm7
Progressions to try
- C♯m – D i–♭II · the Phrygian half-step
- C♯m – D – E – D i–♭II–♭III–♭II
- C♯m – Bm – A – D i–♭vii–♭VI–♭II
How to use C♯ 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.
- C♯ Phrygian contains exactly the notes of A major, played from its third note, C♯. See A major.
Where to find C♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 9 |
| B (2nd) | 2 |
| G (3rd) | 6 |
| D (4th) | 11 |
| A (5th) | 4 |
| Low E (6th) | 9 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C♯ Phrygian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C♯ Phrygian scale FAQ
What notes are in the C♯ Phrygian scale?
The C♯ Phrygian scale has 7 notes: C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A and B. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 3 sharps (C♯, F♯ and G♯).
What chords are in C♯ Phrygian?
Harmonising the C♯ Phrygian scale in thirds gives C♯m (i), D (♭II), E (♭III), F♯m (iv), G♯° (v°), A (♭VI) and Bm (♭vii).
Where do you play the C♯ Phrygian scale on guitar?
The root, C♯, is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 8–12, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as C♯ Phrygian?
C♯ Phrygian contains exactly the notes of A major, played from its third note, C♯.