D Phrygian, Starting on the Open D String
Let the open D string ring and you are already sitting on the root of the D Phrygian scale: D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb and C. The Eb right above it is the note that makes this mode sound tense and foreign.
For the box shapes, the root moves to the 10th fret of the low E string and the 5th fret of the A string. All seven notes also belong to Bb major. Practise the sound of that Eb with practising scales in context.
Play the D phrygian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the D phrygian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Eb | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| F | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| G | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| A | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Bb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| C | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
D phrygian scale notes:
How the phrygian scale is built:
The phrygian scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7, which gives the step pattern H-W-W-W-H-W-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is mode 3 of the Major Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.
D Phrygian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (D)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the D phrygian scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Scales with the same notes as D Phrygian
These scales use exactly the same notes. Each one starts somewhere else, so the root and the mood change.
| Scale | Starts on degree | Learn the scale |
|---|---|---|
| Eb Lydian | b2 | Lydian Scale |
| F Mixolydian | b3 | Mixolydian |
| G Minor | 4 | Minor Scale |
| A Locrian | 5 | Locrian Scale |
| Bb Major | b6 | Major Scale |
| C Dorian | b7 | Dorian Scale |
Other scales on D
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- D Indian: drops the b3 and b7
- D Minor: 2 instead of b2
- D Locrian: b5 instead of 5
- D Phrygian Dominant: 3 instead of b3
- D Dorian b2: 6 instead of b6
The phrygian scale in other keys
Keep learning
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
