G♯ Phrygian mode (A♭ Phrygian)
G♯ Phrygian mode is G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯, with G♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯. Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Press play and follow the keys.
G♯ Phrygian mode, note by note
The step pattern is H W W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between G♯–A and D♯–E.
| Degree | Note | Interval from G♯ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G♯ | root | |
| ♭2 | A | minor second | |
| ♭3 | B | minor third | |
| 4 | C♯ | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | D♯ | perfect fifth | |
| ♭6 | E | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | F♯ | minor seventh |
What G♯ Phrygian sounds like
Phrygian is a minor mode with a lowered 2nd. The half step from G♯ up to A gives it the dark, Spanish or metal flavor it's known for.
Hold G♯ in the bass and alternate G♯m with A: that half-step shift is the whole flavor.
Compared with G♯ natural minor scale, G♯ Phrygian mode has A where the other has A♯; the other six notes are shared. Hear G♯ natural minor scale and compare.
G♯ Phrygian mode uses the same seven notes as E major, starting from G♯ instead of E. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Phrygian is playing it over a G♯ bass or chord.
Where your hands go
Keyboard players: four black (G♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯), three white.
17 notes fit in the box between frets 2 and 8, with G♯ at the 4th 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 G♯ Phrygian mode; the ones that differ from the E major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
G♯ Phrygian mode shares all its notes with C♯ natural minor (starting on the 4th note, C♯), D♯ Locrian (starting on the 5th note, D♯), E major (starting on the 6th note, E), F♯ Dorian (starting on the 7th note, F♯), A Lydian (starting on the 2nd note, A) and B Mixolydian (starting on the 3rd note, B). Which one you hear depends on which note the music treats as home.
G♯ Phrygian mode across the fretboard
Anchor points for G♯: low E string fret 4, A string fret 11. Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 1, 4, 6, 9 and 11 on the low E string. Start from the root and go straight to the ♭2 and back; that half step carries the whole mode.
On the piano, G♯ Phrygian mode uses 4 black keys (G♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯) and 3 white.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's G♯–B, A–C♯, B–D♯, C♯–E, D♯–F♯, E–G♯, F♯–A.
Practice patterns for G♯ Phrygian mode
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 G♯ Phrygian mode.
- Three-note runs: G♯ A B · A B C♯ · B C♯ D♯ · C♯ D♯ E · D♯ E F♯ · E F♯ G♯.
- Lean on A: G♯ A G♯ A G♯: the ♭2, a half step above the root, is the Spanish flavour.
Scales to compare with G♯ Phrygian
Phrygian mode in every key
G♯ Phrygian mode: questions
What are the notes of the G♯ Phrygian mode?
7 notes: G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E and F♯.
How many sharps or flats are in the G♯ Phrygian mode?
Four: G♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯.
What chords are in the G♯ Phrygian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives G♯m (i), A (II), B (III), C♯m (iv), D♯dim (v°), E (VI) and F♯m (vii).
What's the difference between G♯ Phrygian mode and G♯ natural minor scale?
A in G♯ Phrygian; A♯ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as G♯ Phrygian mode?
E major. G♯ Phrygian is E major played from its 3rd note, G♯.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 and tested. Updated September 2026.