B♭ Phrygian scale
B♭ Phrygian is B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭. Phrygian: a minor scale with a lowered second, the third mode of the major pattern, dark and tense with a half step above the tonic.
- Formula
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
- Steps
- H W W W H W W
- Notes
- 7
- Mode
- Mode 3 of G♭ major
- Also written
- A♯ Phrygian
Notes and degrees
The B♭ Phrygian scale has seven notes: B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭. Each degree is named by its distance from the tonic, B♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval above B♭ | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P1 | tonic | |
| 2 | m2 | supertonic | |
| 3 | m3 | mediant | |
| 4 | P4 | subdominant | |
| 5 | P5 | dominant | |
| 6 | m6 | submediant | |
| 7 | m7 | subtonic |
On the piano
Every key of the scale is lit in its own colour. Click one to hear it.
On the guitar
Every B♭ scale tone on the first twelve frets in standard tuning. The tonic is ringed. Click a dot to hear the note.
Chords in B♭ Phrygian
Stacking thirds on each degree gives a triad and a seventh chord. The numerals are measured from the tonic against the major scale, so a ♭ means that chord root is lower than in major.
| Numeral | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | B♭m | B♭m7 |
| ♭II | C♭ | C♭maj7 |
| ♭III | D♭ | D♭7 |
| iv | E♭m | E♭m7 |
| v° | Fdim | Fm7♭5 |
| ♭VI | G♭ | G♭maj7 |
| ♭vii | A♭m | A♭m7 |
What it sounds like
Phrygian follows the pattern half, whole, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. The half step above the tonic is its signature. The lowered second sits directly against the root, which creates tension and a downward pull that natural minor does not have. Relative to the major pattern, the second, third, sixth, and seventh are all lowered, so the scale sounds dark and tense. Its cadence from the lowered second down to the tonic is one of the most recognizable sounds in modal music.
Where you hear it
Phrygian is widely associated with Spanish and flamenco-influenced music, where the lowered second and a descending cadence are often analyzed as Phrygian. Heavy metal riffs frequently use the lowered second against a minor chord. Film and game scores use it for tension or an antique, exotic color. Medieval church music used it as one of the eight modes. Jazz players sometimes use it over minor chords, treating the lowered second as a color tone.
How it is built
Phrygian is the third mode of the major pattern, the rotation that starts on E. On C, it has the same pitches as A♭ major, so Phrygian on C is the third mode of A♭ major. Its diatonic triads on C are C minor, D♭ major, E♭ major, F minor, G diminished, A♭ major, and B♭ minor. The major chord on the lowered second, D♭, is the characteristic harmony. Compared with natural minor, it differs in one note: the second is lowered.
Scales with the same notes
These scales use the same seven pitches as B♭ Phrygian, starting from a different note.
Other B♭ scales
- B♭ major
- B♭ natural minor
- B♭ harmonic minor
- B♭ melodic minor
- B♭ Dorian
- B♭ Lydian
- B♭ Mixolydian
- B♭ Locrian
- B♭ major pentatonic
- B♭ minor pentatonic
- B♭ blues
- B♭ whole-tone
- B♭ diminished (whole–half)
- B♭ diminished (half–whole)
- B♭ Phrygian dominant
- B♭ Lydian dominant
- B♭ altered
- B♭ double harmonic major
- B♭ Hungarian minor
- B♭ bebop dominant
How to practise it
Play E Phrygian on the white keys, E F G A B C D E, against a drone on E. Sing the half step above the tonic, F, and resolve it down to E several times. Improvise over Em using only Phrygian notes, with F as the target. Then play the same riff in E Dorian, which raises the second and the sixth, and hear how the color changes.
Enharmonic spelling
B♭ and A♯ are the same pitch, so this scale can also be written as A♯ Phrygian: A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯. The spelling that needs fewer accidentals is the one you will usually meet.
Further reading
- Church Modes From Dorian to Locrian: A Practical GuideFundamentals · 7 min
- Chord-Scale Theory Explained: Which Scale Fits Which ChordJazz & Popular Harmony · 7 min
- The Neapolitan Sixth Chord: Sound, Spelling, ResolutionHarmony · 6 min
Questions
What are the notes of the B♭ Phrygian scale?
The B♭ Phrygian scale is B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭. Written ascending it returns to B♭ an octave higher.
What is the formula for the B♭ Phrygian scale?
The formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 measured from the major scale. As steps that is H, W, W, W, H, W, W (W is a whole step, H a half step).
Which chords belong to B♭ Phrygian?
Stacking thirds on each degree gives the triads B♭m, C♭, D♭, E♭m, Fdim, G♭, A♭m.
What is the difference between Phrygian and Dorian?
Relative to natural minor, Phrygian lowers the second and Dorian raises the sixth. On E, Phrygian is E F G A B C D and Dorian is E F♯ G A B C♯ D. Phrygian sounds darker and more tense because the half step sits directly above the tonic. Dorian sounds lighter because its sixth is a major sixth.
How do you build a Phrygian scale?
Start on the third degree of a major scale. On E, the pattern is half, whole, whole, whole, half, whole, whole, giving E F G A B C D. This uses the same notes as C major, so it has the same key signature. Equivalently, lower the second, third, sixth, and seventh of the major scale starting on E.
Is Phrygian a minor mode?
In practice, yes. Its tonic triad and third are minor, so harmony built on it sounds minor. Its half step above the tonic and lowered sixth make it darker than natural minor. In modal theory it is the third mode of the major scale, but many listeners hear it as part of the minor family.