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Tomus

Mode reference

Phrygian mode

The minor scale with a flattened second · C Phrygian = C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭

Phrygian is the third mode of the major scale, which means C Phrygian uses the notes of A♭ major but treats C as home. The table below keeps that relationship on every root: the same step pattern, started somewhere new.

The semitone immediately above the tonic gives it a taut, downward-leaning quality. Central to flamenco and to a great deal of metal.

C Phrygian

  1. C1
    semi
  2. D♭2
    tone
  3. E♭3
    tone
  4. F4
    tone
  5. G5
    semi
  6. A♭6
    tone
  7. B♭7
    tone
  8. C8
C Phrygian, with the step between each pair of degrees. T is a tone, S a semitone.
CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭C
C Phrygian ascending, with each accidental written on its note.
CDEFGABCD♭E♭A♭B♭
C Phrygian on the keyboard, from C up to C. The tonic is the darker key.

Every degree

DegreeNoteInterval from the tonicSemitones
1CUnison0
2D♭Minor second1
3E♭Minor third3
4FPerfect fourth5
5GPerfect fifth7
6A♭Minor sixth8
7B♭Minor seventh10

Hear what makes it Phrygian

The explorer marks the flattened second — the note that separates Phrygian from natural minor on the same tonic. Flip between the two and play each; that one note is the whole difference.

Phrygian on every root

Each row is the same step pattern started somewhere new. The last column is the major scale that contains the same notes — useful when you want to find the mode by thinking in a key you already know.

TonicNotesSame notes as
CC – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭A♭ major
D♭D♭ – E𝄫 – F♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B𝄫 – C♭B𝄫 major
DD – E♭ – F – G – A – B♭ – CB♭ major
E♭E♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭C♭ major
EE – F – G – A – B – C – DC major
FF – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭D♭ major
F♯F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D – ED major
GG – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – FE♭ major
A♭A♭ – B𝄫 – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F♭ – G♭F♭ major
AA – B♭ – C – D – E – F – GF major
B♭B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭G♭ major
BB – C – D – E – F♯ – G – AG major

Hearing it rather than spelling it

A mode is only a mode while the music keeps treating its tonic as home. Played over an A♭ bass, C Phrygian is just A♭ major. Played over a C drone, the flattened second — what sets it apart from C natural minor — becomes unmistakable. That is why modal writing tends to stay on one chord for a long time.

Keep going

Nearby modes

All seven modes

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