F Phrygian mode
F Phrygian mode is F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭, with G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭. Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
Notes and steps
The step pattern is H W W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between F–G♭ and C–D♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval from F | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | root | |
| ♭2 | G♭ | minor second | |
| ♭3 | A♭ | minor third | |
| 4 | B♭ | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | C | perfect fifth | |
| ♭6 | D♭ | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | E♭ | minor seventh |
What F Phrygian sounds like
Phrygian is a minor mode with a lowered 2nd. The half step from F up to G♭ gives it the dark, Spanish or metal flavor it's known for.
Hold F in the bass and alternate Fm with G♭: that half-step shift is the whole flavor.
Compared with F natural minor scale, F Phrygian mode has G♭ where the other has G; the other six notes are shared. Hear F natural minor scale and compare.
F Phrygian mode uses the same seven notes as D♭ major, starting from F instead of D♭. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Phrygian is playing it over a F bass or chord.
On piano and on guitar
G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭ are on black keys; the rest are white.
The guitar box starts with the root at the 1st fret of the low E string and spans frets 0–5: 17 notes, 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 F Phrygian mode; the ones that differ from the D♭ major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
If you know F Phrygian mode, you already know the notes of C Locrian (starting on the 5th note, C), D♭ major (starting on the 6th note, D♭), E♭ Dorian (starting on the 7th note, E♭), G♭ Lydian (starting on the 2nd note, G♭), A♭ Mixolydian (starting on the 3rd note, A♭) and B♭ natural minor (starting on the 4th note, B♭).
F Phrygian mode across the fretboard
Anchor points for F: low E string fret 1 and 13, A string fret 8. Most guitarists learn it in five overlapping positions; on the low E string they begin around frets 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10. Start from the root and go straight to the ♭2 and back; that half step carries the whole mode.
On the piano, F Phrygian mode uses 5 black keys (G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭) and 2 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: F–A♭, G♭–B♭, A♭–C, B♭–D♭, C–E♭, D♭–F, E♭–G♭.
Three ways to practise F Phrygian
Once F Phrygian is comfortable up and down, break the order. Each pattern below uses only its 7 notes.
- Groups of three: F G♭ A♭ · G♭ A♭ B♭ · A♭ B♭ C · B♭ C D♭ · C D♭ E♭ · D♭ E♭ F.
- Lean on G♭: F G♭ F G♭ F: the ♭2, a half step above the root, is the Spanish flavour.
Try next, from F
Phrygian mode in every key
F Phrygian mode: questions
What are the notes of the F Phrygian mode?
F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭ and E♭, then F again at the octave. Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the F Phrygian mode?
Five: G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭.
What chords are in the F Phrygian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Fm (i), G♭ (II), A♭ (III), B♭m (iv), Cdim (v°), D♭ (VI) and E♭m (vii).
What's the difference between F Phrygian mode and F natural minor scale?
G♭ in F Phrygian; G in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as F Phrygian mode?
D♭ major. F Phrygian is D♭ major played from its 3rd note, F.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.