Article / Updated 07-22-2022
On the guitar, Phrygian is the third mode of the major scale. It’s the sound that’s created when the 3rd scale degree is functioning as the tonic. Because it features a f3rd and centers on a minor chord, it’s considered a minor mode.
Drawing from the G major scale, Phrygian mode looks like this:
G major
1-2-3-4-5-6-7
G-A-B-C-D-E-Fs
I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-viif5
G-Am-Bm-C-D-Em-Fsmf5
B Phrygian
1-f2-f3-4-5-f6-f7
B-C-D-E-Fs-G-A
i-fII-fIII-iv-vf5-fVI-fvii
Looking at this scale’s construction, Phrygian mode can be thought of as a natural minor scale with a flattened 2nd.