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G♯ phrygian

G♯ natural minor with one note lowered: A. Seven notes: G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E F♯. The same notes as E major, centred on G♯.

Parent key
E major Same notes
Colour note
A The flat 2nd
Repeating chords
G♯m – A i – ♭II
80 bpm
Labels

Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode.

iVampG♯mG♯ · B · D♯
♭IIVampAA · C♯ · E
♭IIIBB · D♯ · F♯
ivC♯mC♯ · E · G♯
v°D♯°D♯ · F♯ · A
♭VIEE · G♯ · B
♭viiF♯mF♯ · A · C♯
Light up

What makes it phrygian

Natural minor, with the 2nd lowered

One note separates G♯ phrygian from G♯ natural minor: A♯ becomes A. Over the same root, that turns G♯m – A♯° into G♯m – A.

G♯ natural minor
  1. G♯
  2. A♯
  3. B
  4. C♯
  5. D♯
  6. E
  7. F♯
G♯ phrygian
  1. G♯
  2. A
  3. B
  4. C♯
  5. D♯
  6. E
  7. F♯

Hear the difference

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A

One chord that says phrygian

The ♭II chord, A, is built on the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.

The brightness ladder

Seven modes on G♯

From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Phrygian is row 6 of seven.

↑ Brighter

  1. A♭ lydianA♭B♭CDE♭FGsame sound as G♯ lydian♯4
  2. A♭ ionian (major)A♭B♭CD♭E♭FGsame sound as G♯ ionian (major)—
  3. G♯ mixolydianG♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F♯♭7
  4. G♯ dorianG♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯F♯♭3 ♭7
  5. G♯ aeolian (natural minor)G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯♭3 ♭6 ♭7
  6. G♯ phrygianG♯ABC♯D♯EF♯♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
  7. G♯ locrianG♯ABC♯DEF♯♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

Darker ↓

Jam along

Three drills over the vamp

Play over the repeating G♯m – A chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with A ringed.

  1. The vamp, with a clickG♯m – A, two bars each, in frets 2–6. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
  2. Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while G♯m – A sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
  3. Land on the colour noteOver A, aim for A. It is the note that makes it phrygian.80 bpmLevel 2

Phrygian on every root

Pick a root

Other modes of E major's notes