Box 1
Position 1 (6th-string root)
Frets 5–8
When to use it: Root on the 6th string. Learn this one first — matching the root to a fret is all it takes to move the shape to any key.
Phrygian Mode
A Phrygian Mode
Minor with a ♭2 — flamenco, Spanish guitar, and a lot of metal riffing.
- Notes
- A B♭ C D E F G
- Formula
- 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · ♭7
- Sound
- spanish, menacing
- Guitar positions
- 2
The patterns on guitar
2 fretboard positions in standard tuning, low string on the left. Every dot is a note of the scale and the number inside it is the scale degree, so you can see the shape and the theory at once.
root notescale notenumbers inside the dots are scale degrees
Box 2
Position 2 (5th-string root)
Open position
When to use it: It lands in open position for this key, so the open strings carry the low notes — easy to play, but the one shape you cannot slide to another key. Root on the 5th string. Use it when the tonic is easier to find on the A string, or when you want the scale to sit higher.
The notes
7 notes, built off A with the formula 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · ♭7. The ♭2 sits a half step above the root and creates an immediate, unmistakable tension. Phrygian dominant (its harmonic-minor cousin) is the version most flamenco actually uses.
Tap any note to hear it on its own.
Chords built from this scale
Stack every other note of the scale and you get its seven diatonic chords. These are the chords that sound at home over this scale — a progression made only of these will never leave the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes | Seventh | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | A C E | Am7 | tonic — everything resolves here |
| II | B♭ | B♭ D F | B♭maj7 | supertonic — a bright, borrowed pre-dominant |
| III | C | C E G | C7 | mediant — relative-major colour |
| iv | Dm | D F A | Dm7 | subdominant — the wistful, minor version of the lift away |
| v° | Edim | E G B♭ | Em7♭5 | dominant — unstable |
| VI | F | F A C | Fmaj7 | submediant — the relative major's home |
| vii | Gm | G B♭ D | Gm7 | subtonic — a whole step below home, no pull |
Common questions
What notes are in the A Phrygian Mode?
The A Phrygian mode has 7 notes: A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G. The interval formula is 1–♭2–♭3–4–5–♭6–♭7, counted up from A.
What chords are in the A Phrygian Mode?
The A Phrygian mode builds seven diatonic chords: i Am, II Bb, III C, iv Dm, v° Edim, VI F, vii Gm.
Where do I start on guitar?
Start with Position 1 (6th-string root) at fret 5. Root on the 6th string. Learn this one first — matching the root to a fret is all it takes to move the shape to any key.
Learn the theory behind it
The patterns above get your fingers moving. These explain what the notes are actually doing, so you can use the scale instead of just running it.