D PhrygianScale

Formula

H W W W H W W 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
The family

D Phrygian on the chromatic circle

D Phrygian is the 3rd mode of the Major family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W W H W W W H ♭6 B♭I Ionian ♭7 CII Dorian 1 DIII Phrygian ♭2 E♭IV Lydian ♭3 FV Mixolydian 4 GVI Aeolian 5 AVII Locrian D Phrygian
The whole neck

D Phrygian across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭2 ♭3 4
Harmony

Chords in D Phrygian

Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.

DegreeChordNotes
iDm7D F A C
♭IIE♭maj7E♭ G B♭ D
♭IIIF7F A C E♭
ivGm7G B♭ D F
v°Am7♭5A C E♭ G
♭VIB♭maj7B♭ D F A
♭viiCm7C E♭ G B♭
Context

Where D Phrygian fits

Dark minor with a ♭2: metal riffs, Spanish-flavoured music and modal jazz. Over a minor chord when the ♭2 is meant to be heard.

D Phrygian is mode 3 of the major family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:

Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:

Phrygian scale in every key

D Phrygian scale questions

What notes are in the D Phrygian scale?

D E♭ F G A B♭ C. As degrees from the root: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

What is the D Phrygian scale formula?

1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, H W W W H W W (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the D Phrygian scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of D Phrygian up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the C shape to the A shape to the G shape to the E shape to the D shape.

What chords are in the D Phrygian scale?

Dm7 (i), E♭maj7 (♭II), F7 (♭III), Gm7 (iv), Am7♭5 (v°), B♭maj7 (♭VI), Cm7 (♭vii).

When is the D Phrygian scale used?

Dark minor with a ♭2: metal riffs, Spanish-flavoured music and modal jazz. Over a minor chord when the ♭2 is meant to be heard.