The Phrygian mode is a minor scale with a b2. It has a dark, Spanish, or Middle Eastern flavor. The half step between 1 and b2 creates its distinctive tension.
Scale Formula
1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 - minor with b2 and b6. Semitone pattern: H W W W H W W
Fretboard (C Phrygian)
Toggle to interval view to see how the b2 sits just one fret above the root. That half-step proximity is what gives Phrygian its characteristic dark tension.
Common Chords
Minor triad (1 b3 5), Minor 7th (1 b3 5 b7), sus4 b9 (1 4 5 b2).
Diatonic Harmony
Improvisation Context
Play over minor 7th chords functioning as a iii chord, or over sus4(b9) voicings. The b2 is the characteristic note. Often used in flamenco and metal contexts.
Characteristic Note
The b2 (one fret above the root on the same string) is the signature Phrygian sound. It creates a gravitational pull back to the root. In flamenco guitar, this half-step resolution (b2 down to 1) is the defining gesture of the style.
Practice
Play C Phrygian over a Cm7 drone. Emphasize the b2 (Db) resolving down to the root (C). Compare it with C Aeolian to hear the difference - only the 2nd degree changes (D vs Db). Try a Phrygian vamp: Cm to Dbmaj (i to bII) - that bII chord is unique to Phrygian and defines its harmonic color.