Phrygian Scale

Phrygian is the mode built off the third note of the major scale. It differs from a major scale because it has a lowered 2nd, a lowered 3rd, a lowered 6th, and a lowered 7th. The characteristic note is the flattened 2nd should be mostly avoided. This mode is very mysterious and dark sounding and you hear it a lot in heavy rock. This is also the scale for a III-7 chord instead of a dorian minor scale. Songs that use phrygian harmony such as "Nardis" or "Speak No Evil" often don't use phrygian scales on the I-7 chord but will use an aeolian scale instead because a natural 9 is always better sounding on minors than a flattened 9.


Return to Music Scales or go back to The Jazz Resource hompage