A Phrygian mode
A Phrygian mode is A – B♭ – C – D – E – F – G, with B♭. 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 A–B♭ and E–F.
| Degree | Note | Interval from A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | |
| ♭2 | B♭ | minor second | |
| ♭3 | C | minor third | |
| 4 | D | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | E | perfect fifth | |
| ♭6 | F | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | G | minor seventh |
What A Phrygian sounds like
A Phrygian starts with a half step (A to B♭). That opening half step is the whole character of the mode; the rest matches A natural minor.
The Phrygian move is B♭ to Am, a major chord a half step above home sliding down to it.
Compared with A natural minor scale, A Phrygian mode has B♭ where the other has B; the other six notes are shared. Hear A natural minor scale and compare.
A Phrygian mode uses the same seven notes as F major, starting from A instead of F. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Phrygian is playing it over a A bass or chord.
Playing A Phrygian
Keyboard players: one black (B♭), six white.
17 notes fit in the box between frets 3 and 9, with A at the 5th fret of the low E string.
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 A Phrygian mode; the ones that differ from the F major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
A Phrygian mode shares all its notes with C Mixolydian (starting on the 3rd note, C), D natural minor (starting on the 4th note, D), E Locrian (starting on the 5th note, E), F major (starting on the 6th note, F), G Dorian (starting on the 7th note, G) and B♭ Lydian (starting on the 2nd note, B♭). Which one you hear depends on which note the music treats as home.
Finding A Phrygian on the neck
The root, A, sits at fret 5 on the low E string and 0 and 12 on the A string (0 = open). Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12) and you'll have it everywhere. Start from the root and go straight to the ♭2 and back; that half step carries the whole mode.
On the piano, A Phrygian mode uses 1 black key (B♭) and 6 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: A–C, B♭–D, C–E, D–F, E–G, F–A, G–B♭.
Drills for A Phrygian
Running a scale straight up and down only teaches the order. These patterns use the same 7 notes and train your ear and fingers to jump around inside A Phrygian mode.
- Three-note runs: A B♭ C · B♭ C D · C D E · D E F · E F G · F G A.
- Land on B♭: A B♭ A B♭ A: the ♭2, a half step above the root, is the Spanish flavour.
Scales to compare with A Phrygian
Phrygian mode in every key
A Phrygian mode: questions
What are the notes of the A Phrygian mode?
A, B♭, C, D, E, F, G, A. As degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the A Phrygian mode?
One: B♭.
What chords are in the A Phrygian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Am (i), B♭ (II), C (III), Dm (iv), Edim (v°), F (VI) and Gm (vii).
What's the difference between A Phrygian mode and A natural minor scale?
B♭ in A Phrygian; B in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as A Phrygian mode?
F major. A Phrygian is F major played from its 3rd note, A.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.