E Phrygian Mode on guitar
The Phrygian mode is a minor scale with a distinctive flattened 2nd degree, creating a dark, Spanish or Middle Eastern atmosphere. Highly favored in flamenco, thrash metal, and progressive rock.
The notes of E Phrygian Mode
Built on E, the scale degrees spell out like this. The degree is the number you would call that note relative to E:
Where it lands on the fretboard
Every fret from the open string up to the 12th that belongs to the E Phrygian Mode, string by string. Root notes are highlighted.
- Low E: 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12
- A: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12
- D: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12
- G: 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12
- B: 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12
- High E: 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12
Your anchor points: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Start every pattern from one of those and you always know where home is.
Emphasize the half-step transition between the root and the flat 2nd to immediately bring out that signature Spanish flavor.
Chords that fit
These chords from RiffRoute's library use only notes inside the E Phrygian Mode, so they will not clash with it:
Same notes, different home
These scales contain exactly the same notes as the E Phrygian Mode. The fretboard pattern is identical — what changes is which note you treat as home:
Other E scales
Same starting note, different colour. Switching between these over one E chord is the quickest way to hear what each scale does:
- E Major Scale
- E Natural Minor Scale
- E Major Pentatonic Scale
- E Minor Pentatonic Scale
- E Blues Scale
- E Harmonic Minor Scale
The Phrygian scale in other keys
Practise it in the app
A list of frets only gets you so far. RiffRoute shows the E Phrygian Mode lit up on a full fretboard, plays it back and lets you practise it against a backing track.