Phrygian scale · 7 notes
F Phrygian scale on guitar
The F Phrygian scale has 7 notes: F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭ and E♭. A minor scale with a ♭2: dark, Spanish-tinged and heavy.
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 1. Open position: frets 0–4.
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 5 flats (G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭). 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.
- iFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- ♭IIG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭G♭maj7
- ♭IIIA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭7
- ivB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
- v°C°C · E♭ · G♭Cm7♭5
- ♭VID♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭maj7
- ♭viiE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭E♭m7
Progressions to try
- Fm – G♭ i–♭II · the Phrygian half-step
- Fm – G♭ – A♭ – G♭ i–♭II–♭III–♭II
- Fm – E♭m – 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) | 1 |
| B (2nd) | 6 |
| G (3rd) | 10 |
| D (4th) | 3 |
| A (5th) | 8 |
| Low E (6th) | 1 |
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 5 flats (G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭).
What chords are in F Phrygian?
Harmonising the F Phrygian scale in thirds gives Fm (i), G♭ (♭II), A♭ (♭III), B♭m (iv), C° (v°), D♭ (♭VI) and E♭m (♭vii).
Where do you play the F Phrygian scale on guitar?
The root, F, is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 0–4, 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.