D♯ Phrygian mode (E♭ Phrygian)
D♯ Phrygian mode is D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯, with D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯ and C♯. Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Play it, then slow the tempo until every note is clear.
D♯ Phrygian mode, note by note
Counted in steps it goes H W W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between D♯–E and A♯–B.
| Degree | Note | Interval from D♯ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♯ | root | |
| ♭2 | E | minor second | |
| ♭3 | F♯ | minor third | |
| 4 | G♯ | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | A♯ | perfect fifth | |
| ♭6 | B | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | C♯ | minor seventh |
How the Phrygian mode sounds
D♯ Phrygian starts with a half step (D♯ to E). That opening half step is the whole character of the mode; the rest matches D♯ natural minor.
The Phrygian move is E to D♯m, a major chord a half step above home sliding down to it.
Compared with E♭ natural minor scale, D♯ Phrygian mode has E where the other has F; the other six notes are shared. Hear E♭ natural minor scale and compare.
D♯ Phrygian mode uses the same seven notes as B major, starting from D♯ instead of B. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Phrygian is playing it over a D♯ bass or chord.
Playing D♯ Phrygian
D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯ and C♯ are on black keys; the rest are white.
The guitar box starts with the root at the 11th fret of the low E string and spans frets 9–15: 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 D♯ Phrygian mode; the ones that differ from the B major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C♯ Dorian (starting on the 7th note, C♯), E Lydian (starting on the 2nd note, E), F♯ Mixolydian (starting on the 3rd note, F♯), G♯ natural minor (starting on the 4th note, G♯), A♯ Locrian (starting on the 5th note, A♯) and B major (starting on the 6th note, B). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
D♯ Phrygian mode across the fretboard
Find D♯ first: fret 11 of the 6th string, fret 6 of the 5th. Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 1, 4, 6, 8 and 11) 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, D♯ Phrygian mode uses 5 black keys (D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯ and C♯) and 2 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: D♯–F♯, E–G♯, F♯–A♯, G♯–B, A♯–C♯, B–D♯, C♯–E.
Practice patterns for D♯ Phrygian mode
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Three-note runs: D♯ E F♯ · E F♯ G♯ · F♯ G♯ A♯ · G♯ A♯ B · A♯ B C♯ · B C♯ D♯.
- Target E: D♯ E D♯ E D♯: the ♭2, a half step above the root, is the Spanish flavour.
Close relatives of D♯ Phrygian mode
Phrygian mode in every key
D♯ Phrygian mode: questions
What are the notes of the D♯ Phrygian mode?
D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B and C♯, then D♯ again at the octave. Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the D♯ Phrygian mode?
Five: D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯ and C♯.
What chords are in the D♯ Phrygian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives D♯m (i), E (II), F♯ (III), G♯m (iv), A♯dim (v°), B (VI) and C♯m (vii).
What's the difference between D♯ Phrygian mode and E♭ natural minor scale?
E in D♯ Phrygian; F in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as D♯ Phrygian mode?
B major. D♯ Phrygian is B major played from its 3rd note, D♯.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 and tested. Updated September 2026.