Skip to content
MusicTheoryGym

Scale · 7 notes

F Phrygian Scale

F Phrygian is a 7-note scale with the notes F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭. It sounds minor with a flattened 2nd, dark and tense with a Spanish flavour.

CFD♭E♭G♭A♭B♭

Purple = F (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every F phrygian note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215FG♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭CE♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭FA♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭

Blue = F (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the F Phrygian scale

DegreeNoteName
1FTonic
♭2G♭Supertonic
♭3A♭Mediant
4B♭Subdominant
5CDominant
♭6D♭Submediant
♭7E♭Subtonic

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭.

F Phrygian scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is H – W – W – W – H – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

Chords in the F Phrygian scale

Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives these chords:

DegreeTriad7th chord
iFmFm7
IIG♭G♭maj7
IIIA♭A♭7
ivB♭mB♭m7
v°C°Cø7
VID♭D♭maj7
viiE♭mE♭m7

Chord names link to guitar chord shapes where we have them.

Related scales

  • Parent major scale: D♭ Major, which has exactly the same notes as F Phrygian.

How to practise the F Phrygian scale

Learn each mode by its characteristic note: the one that makes it different from the major or minor scale it most resembles. Play a drone on the tonic while you play the scale to hear its colour.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the F Phrygian scale?

The notes of the F Phrygian scale are F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭.

What is the formula for the F Phrygian scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is H – W – W – W – H – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

What chords are in the F Phrygian scale?

Built from the scale in triads: Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m, C°, D♭, E♭m.

More F scales

F Major, F Natural Minor, F Harmonic Minor, F Melodic Minor, F Dorian, F Lydian, F Mixolydian, F Locrian, F Major Pentatonic, F Minor Pentatonic, F Blues, F Lydian Dominant, F Whole Tone, F Dorian ♭2, F Lydian Augmented, F Mixolydian ♭6, F Locrian ♯2, F Phrygian Dominant, F Hungarian Minor, F Double Harmonic, F Diminished (W–H), F Diminished (H–W), F Bebop Dominant, F Bebop Major

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.