Phrygian scale · 7 notes
F♯ Phrygian scale on guitar
The F♯ Phrygian scale (F sharp Phrygian scale) has 7 notes: F♯, G, A, B, C♯, D and E. A minor scale with a ♭2: dark, Spanish-tinged and heavy. You may also see it written as G♭ Phrygian, but F♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- F♯
- G
- A
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, tense and Spanish-flavoured
F♯ Phrygian on the whole fretboard
Every F♯ Phrygian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, F♯, 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
F♯ at fret 2. 1st position: frets 1–5.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of F♯ Phrygian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from F♯, the F♯ Phrygian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 2 sharps (F♯ and C♯). Compared with F♯ minor, it has G (♭2) instead of G♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | G | minor 2nd | 1 |
| ♭3 | A | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | B | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | C♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | D | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | E | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in F♯ Phrygian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to F♯ Phrygian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in F♯ Phrygian.
- iF♯mF♯ · A · C♯F♯m7
- ♭IIGG · B · DGmaj7
- ♭IIIAA · C♯ · EA7
- ivBmB · D · F♯Bm7
- v°C♯°C♯ · E · GC♯m7♭5
- ♭VIDD · F♯ · ADmaj7
- ♭viiEmE · G · BEm7
Progressions to try
- F♯m – G i–♭II · the Phrygian half-step
- F♯m – G – A – G i–♭II–♭III–♭II
- F♯m – Em – D – G i–♭vii–♭VI–♭II
How to use F♯ 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.
- F♯ Phrygian contains exactly the notes of D major, played from its third note, F♯. See D major.
Where to find F♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every F♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with F♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 2 |
| B (2nd) | 7 |
| G (3rd) | 11 |
| D (4th) | 4 |
| A (5th) | 9 |
| Low E (6th) | 2 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as F♯ Phrygian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
F♯ Phrygian scale FAQ
What notes are in the F♯ Phrygian scale?
The F♯ Phrygian scale has 7 notes: F♯, G, A, B, C♯, D and E. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 2 sharps (F♯ and C♯).
What chords are in F♯ Phrygian?
Harmonising the F♯ Phrygian scale in thirds gives F♯m (i), G (♭II), A (♭III), Bm (iv), C♯° (v°), D (♭VI) and Em (♭vii).
Where do you play the F♯ Phrygian scale on guitar?
The root, F♯, is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 1–5, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as F♯ Phrygian?
F♯ Phrygian contains exactly the notes of D major, played from its third note, F♯.