B Phrygian mode
B Phrygian mode is B – C – D – E – F♯ – G – A, with F♯. Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Press play and follow the keys.
The notes, one step at a time
Counted in steps it goes H W W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between B–C and F♯–G.
| Degree | Note | Interval from B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | root | |
| ♭2 | C | minor second | |
| ♭3 | D | minor third | |
| 4 | E | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | F♯ | perfect fifth | |
| ♭6 | G | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | A | minor seventh |
The sound of B Phrygian mode
Phrygian is a minor mode with a lowered 2nd. The half step from B up to C gives it the dark, Spanish or metal flavor it's known for.
Hold B in the bass and alternate Bm with C: that half-step shift is the whole flavor.
Compared with B natural minor scale, B Phrygian mode has C where the other has C♯; the other six notes are shared. Hear B natural minor scale and compare.
B Phrygian mode uses the same seven notes as G major, starting from B instead of G. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Phrygian is playing it over a B bass or chord.
Playing B Phrygian
F♯ is on black key; the rest are white.
On guitar the root sits at the 7th fret of the low E string. The box above covers frets 5–11 and holds 17 notes of the scale across all six strings; play it low string to high.
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords that fit B Phrygian mode; the ones that differ from the G major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
If you know B Phrygian mode, you already know the notes of C Lydian (starting on the 2nd note, C), D Mixolydian (starting on the 3rd note, D), E natural minor (starting on the 4th note, E), F♯ Locrian (starting on the 5th note, F♯), G major (starting on the 6th note, G) and A Dorian (starting on the 7th note, A).
Moving it around the guitar
The root, B, sits at fret 7 on the low E string and 2 and 14 on the A string. Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 2, 4, 7, 9 and 12 on the low E string. Start from the root and go straight to the ♭2 and back; that half step carries the whole mode.
On the piano, B Phrygian mode uses 1 black key (F♯) and 6 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: B–D, C–E, D–F♯, E–G, F♯–A, G–B, A–C.
Drills for B Phrygian
Once B Phrygian is comfortable up and down, break the order. Each pattern below uses only its 7 notes.
- Up in threes: B C D · C D E · D E F♯ · E F♯ G · F♯ G A · G A B.
- Land on C: B C B C B: the ♭2, a half step above the root, is the Spanish flavour.
Close relatives of B Phrygian mode
Phrygian mode in every key
B Phrygian mode: questions
What are the notes of the B Phrygian mode?
7 notes: B, C, D, E, F♯, G and A.
How many sharps or flats are in the B Phrygian mode?
One: F♯.
What chords are in the B Phrygian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Bm (i), C (II), D (III), Em (iv), F♯dim (v°), G (VI) and Am (vii).
What's the difference between B Phrygian mode and B natural minor scale?
C in B Phrygian; C♯ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as B Phrygian mode?
G major. B Phrygian is G major played from its 3rd note, B.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.