4 Great Phrygian Mode Chord Progressions

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The Phrygian mode is a musical mode that has many different faces. You can use it to write dark and sad music. But it can also brighten your song or composition if used in the right way. Let’s find out what makes the Phrygian mode and how to use the Phrygian scale to create beautiful melodies and chord progressions!

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The Phrygian mode is often seen as a more ‘Exotic’ mode. And yes, you can use it for that. But there’s just so much more that you can do with a beautiful Phrygian chord progression or melody. Just like the other modal chord progressions, Phrygian can be used in many different styles of music, ranging from singer-songwriter to classical music. But here comes the question: what is the Phrygian mode and how do you start writing music with it?

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Video Tutorial: Make Phrygian mode chord progressions and Melodies

If you want to hear all these examples with real music, then check out my video on the Phrygian mode and listen to some real modal chord progressions and melodies in action!

Modes made easy

Many people see the musical modes as being part of a bigger mode or parent scale, which is the Ionian mode. But 90% of the time I don’t approach it this way. I like to see each mode as a separate scale. So it’s not part of something bigger. The Phrygian mode scale is what it is and not some kind of small brother from the major scale.

I will explain how you make a Phrygian scale and chord progression. You can use this for writing beautiful melodies and full songs. Just follow these four steps below.

How to write music in the Phrygian mode:

Create a natural minor scale / Aeolian scale
Lower the 2nd note with half a step
Create a triad or chord on each scale degree
Focus your chords and melody on the root note, minor second and minor third.

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How do you make a Phrygian Scale?

Almost all music is in a certain key. For example, your piece could be in G major. When we talk about music being in a specific key then we are referring to the notes that can be used in your composition. This also tells us which note should feel like our tonic. Something that feels like ‘home’. These notes together form a scale. Now to start our Phrygian journey first we need the formula for a natural minor scale.

Minor scale blueprint / minor scale formula

If you follow this formula or blueprint of whole and half steps, then you can make a natural minor scale in any key that you like! Whole step – Half step – Whole step – Whole step – Half step – Whole step – Whole step

If you are new to this, you need to keep in mind that each step or note needs to be a different letter from the alphabet. You cannot have B and B# or A and A#. It should be B and C or A and Bb.

The formula for an A minor scale / A Aeolian scale

The formula for an A minor scale / A Aeolian scale in midi — In Midi roll: The formula for an A minor scale / A Aeolian scale

How to make a Phrygian scale?

Remember our A minor scale from above? To make the A Phrygian scale, you just lower the 2nd note or the note on the 2nd scale degree with half a step. The rest of the notes in the scale stay the same! So the formula for making a Phrygian scale is: Half Step – Whole Step – Whole Step – Whole Step – Half Step – Whole Step – Whole Step.

A Phrygian scale in midi piano roll (note that the A# should be Bb)

How To Make Phrygian Mode Chord Progressions

Just as with all other modal chord progressions. We will use the Phrygian scale to find out what chords you can play or what chords you have in this musical mode. You need to create a chord or triad on each scale degree. And you do this by only using notes from the scale!

How do you make a triad? When you make a chord, just skip one scale tone and choose the next one. So for example in A Phrygian, the chord on the first scale degree is A Minor. And the notes are A-C-E. We skipped the tones B and D.

Example of an A Phrygian scale with triads — A Phrygian scale with triads

Midi example of an A Phrygian scale with triads. (note that the A# is Bb)

Chord Progression No.1 in C Phrygian

This first chord progression has the most obvious characteristic of a Phrygian chord progression. This is going from the minor 2nd scale degree to your tonic chord. Going back and forth between these two scale degrees is often used.

Another technique that I use is a pedal note. The tonic note or root note is sustained while the chords on top, change.

C Phrygian chord progression in midi with and without the pedal note

And here is the chord progression without the pedal note.

C Phrygian chord progression with no pedal note

Chord Progression No.2 in E Phrygian

Sometimes you might find that going from the 1st scale degree to the minor 2nd can sound a bit too obvious. But there is a way to avoid this, but still use that typical sound that makes the Phrygian mode.

What is part of the Phrygian mode formula is the minor 2nd scale degree. As you can see in our scale example on Phrygian mode chords, this note is also part of the chord on the 7th scale degree. Which in this example is Dm. The ‘Phrygian’ note is F.

We can use the D minor in our Phrygian chord progression but put it in the 1st inversion. When you do this, F will be the bass note instead of D. This puts the minor 2nd scale degree in the bass again.

You can hear this in action in one of my songs from Facing Mountains.

Season's End by Facing Mountains

E Phrygian chord progression with a chord inversion

Midi example: E Phrygian chord progression with a chord inversion

Chord Progression No.3 in D Phrygian

This chord progression is a bit longer. Just watch out that when you use too many chords you might not have a strong Phrygian mode sound and risk getting out of the musical mode.

To avoid this you need to emphasize the chords that have the minor 2nd scale degree in them. Of course, don’t forget about your tonic chord. When you listen to the example in my YouTube video you can hear how much difference adding a melody makes. First the progression sounds dark, but with the melody, it sounds more peaceful.

D Phrygian chord progression with an added Phrygian melody

Midi example: D Phrygian chord progression

Chord Progression No.4 in E Phrygian

This chord progression is not really in the Phrygian mode. Because it has the same chords as E natural minor. Because if you look at the scale below, None of the chords has the F in it. This note is the lowered 2nd scale degree.

This is where your melody gets to shine. By writing a Phrygian melody you can still evoke a Phrygian feel and sound. So the minor 2nd scale degree will be in your melody!

Did you notice the A chord in the 2nd system? This chord is not part of the Phrygian mode or the Aeolian mode. I got this chord by using a chromatic mediant. This is a great technique for getting beautiful melodies and chord progressions. Check out my tutorial if you want to learn more about them!

Conclusion

The Phrygian mode can be used for almost anything. I encourage you to try out these chord progressions yourself and play around with them. By now you should know what chords and notes go with the Phrygian mode. So nothing is holding you back! Here are some guidelines for writing new music in the Phrygian mode.

Find and use the most important notes of the scale or mode
Find out which chords have these notes in them
Use these chords and the tonic to strongly confirm the mode/key
Use the melody to accentuate essential notes. Like in Phrygian: Root, Minor 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect fifth.

Do you want to learn more about the musical modes and how they can make your music more interesting? Check out my other videos on the Dorian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Aeolian modes. Check out my videos on how to make Phrygian melodies.

You can also dive into modal mixture, modal interchange and borrowed chords. It’s a very easy technique that can truly change any chord progression. Check out my articles and videos on combining Lydian & Ionian, Phrygian & Aeolian.

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Questions About The Phrygian Mode

A Phrygian mode chord progression is a progression that uses the notes from the Phrygian scale. For example, the scale of E Phrygian is E, F, G, A, B, C, D.

Now if you want to make E Phrygian chord progressions it is best if you start and end your song on the tonic chord E minor. For your other chords, make sure that the lowered 2nd scale degree is part of those chords. In E Phrygian it is the note F. So the chords that you want to use more than others are, F major and D minor.

There are multiple progressions that you can use to get a Phrygian mode cadence. But if you are looking for the true Phrygian cadence, then you need to use the major chord on the lowered 2nd scale degree that goes to the minor tonic chord. In C Phrygian that would be Db going to C minor.

Phrygian is a minor-oriented mode. But Phrygian and natural minor (Aeolian) are not the same. Natural Minor has a major 2nd, while Phrygian has a lowered 2nd scale degree.

In your melodies, you can use the Phrygian mode on any minor chord that you like. It will give it some extra spice. If you are in the key of C major and an E minor chord is played, then you can accentuate that chord by playing the E Phrygian scale.