Phrygian scale · 7 notes
D♯ Phrygian scale on guitar
The D♯ Phrygian scale (D sharp Phrygian scale) has 7 notes: D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B and C♯. A minor scale with a ♭2: dark, Spanish-tinged and heavy. You may also see it written as E♭ Phrygian, but D♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A♯
- B
- C♯
Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, tense and Spanish-flavoured
D♯ Phrygian on the whole fretboard
Every D♯ Phrygian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, D♯, 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
D♯ at fret 11. 10th position: frets 10–14.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of D♯ Phrygian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from D♯, the D♯ Phrygian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 5 sharps (D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯ and C♯). Compared with E♭ minor, it has E (♭2) instead of F.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | E | minor 2nd | 1 |
| ♭3 | F♯ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | G♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | A♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | B | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | C♯ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in D♯ Phrygian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to D♯ Phrygian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in D♯ Phrygian.
- iD♯mD♯ · F♯ · A♯D♯m7
- ♭IIEE · G♯ · BEmaj7
- ♭IIIF♯F♯ · A♯ · C♯F♯7
- ivG♯mG♯ · B · D♯G♯m7
- v°A♯°A♯ · C♯ · EA♯m7♭5
- ♭VIBB · D♯ · F♯Bmaj7
- ♭viiC♯mC♯ · E · G♯C♯m7
Progressions to try
- D♯m – E i–♭II · the Phrygian half-step
- D♯m – E – F♯ – E i–♭II–♭III–♭II
- D♯m – C♯m – B – E i–♭vii–♭VI–♭II
How to use D♯ 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.
- D♯ Phrygian contains exactly the notes of B major, played from its third note, D♯. See B major.
Where to find D♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every D♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with D♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 11 |
| B (2nd) | 4 |
| G (3rd) | 8 |
| D (4th) | 1 |
| A (5th) | 6 |
| Low E (6th) | 11 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as D♯ Phrygian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
D♯ Phrygian scale FAQ
What notes are in the D♯ Phrygian scale?
The D♯ Phrygian scale has 7 notes: D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B and C♯. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 5 sharps (D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯ and C♯).
What chords are in D♯ Phrygian?
Harmonising the D♯ Phrygian scale in thirds gives D♯m (i), E (♭II), F♯ (♭III), G♯m (iv), A♯° (v°), B (♭VI) and C♯m (♭vii).
Where do you play the D♯ Phrygian scale on guitar?
The root, D♯, is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 10–14, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as D♯ Phrygian?
D♯ Phrygian contains exactly the notes of B major, played from its third note, D♯.