Phrygian · G♯ · Guitar
The G♯ Phrygian scale is G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E F♯ — formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, step pattern H–W–W–W–H–W–W. Use it over G♯m7: it is the scale for minor chords when you want a dark, flat-9 colour, and sus♭9 sounds. Below, every note is marked on the fretboard in standard tuning; press play to hear it on a synthesized guitar while each note lights up, or tap any fret to sound that note.
Visualizer
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play loops the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 4. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Reference
| Degree | Note | Interval from G♯ | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G♯ | unison (0 semitones) | H |
| ♭2 | A | minor 2nd (1 semitones) | W |
| ♭3 | B | minor 3rd (3 semitones) | W |
| 4 | C♯ | perfect 4th (5 semitones) | W |
| 5 | D♯ | perfect 5th (7 semitones) | H |
| ♭6 | E | minor 6th (8 semitones) | W |
| ♭7 | F♯ | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: G♯m7 (G♯ – B – D♯ – F♯). Use it for: minor chords when you want a dark, flat-9 colour, and sus♭9 sounds.
Common questions
G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E F♯. As scale degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It has 7 notes.
G♯ Phrygian fits G♯m7 and, more generally, minor chords when you want a dark, flat-9 colour, and sus♭9 sounds.
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 — the step pattern from the root is H W W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Start on the root G♯ on the low E string at fret 4, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 4, E-string fret 5, E-string fret 7, A-string fret 4, A-string fret 6, A-string fret 7, D-string fret 4, D-string fret 6. Every G♯ on the neck is a root, so the same shape works in every position where the notes are marked.
Keep going
Same scale on piano · all Phrygian pages: Phrygian hub · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from G♯