E phrygian scale on bass

E · F · G · A · B · C · D

The course explains what this page shows in Lesson 24 · Modes.

The notes

  1. E1
  2. F♭2
  3. G♭3
  4. A4
  5. B5
  6. C♭6
  7. D♭7

The E phrygian scale is E, F, G, A, B, C, D.

You may also see it called 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

On the staff

EFGABCDE

On a bass staff, the E phrygian scale is written E F G A B C D.

This is one octave of the E phrygian scale, written on the bass clef. Guitar and bass music is written an octave higher than it sounds, and the small 8 under the clef is the sign for that.

Why the E phrygian scale has no sharps or flats

  1. E1
  2. S
  3. F♭2
  4. T
  5. G♭3
  6. T
  7. A4
  8. T
  9. B5
  10. S
  11. C♭6
  12. T
  13. D♭7
  14. T
  15. E8

A scale is a pattern of steps, and this one is S T T T S T T: a semitone, a tone, a tone, and so on. S stands for a semitone, the distance of one fret or one key. T stands for a tone, which is two semitones. The pattern is what gives E phrygian its sound, and it stays the same whichever note you start on.

The second rule is that a seven-note scale uses each letter name once, from A to G, so its seven notes take seven different letters. That is why E phrygian is spelled the way it is, rather than with whichever accidental looks tidier.

Every letter already falls where the pattern needs it, so E phrygian is written with no sharps or flats at all.

The E phrygian scale needs no sharps or flats, because every letter already falls where the S T T T S T T pattern of steps needs it.

The pattern of steps is the part of a scale that never changes. The letter names take sharps or flats to fit that pattern, and a key signature is a record of those sharps or flats.

On the piano

♭6C♭7D1E♭2F♭3G4A5B♭6C♭7D1E♭2F♭3G4A5B♭6C♭7D1E♭2F♭3G4A5B♭6CC♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C1C2C3C4

The keyboard shows the same seven notes as a shape you can see. The coloured keys are the E phrygian scale, and you can click any key to hear it.

E phrygian scale on the whole neck

EADG123456789101112131415E1F♭2G♭3A4B5C♭6D♭7E1F♭2G♭3A4B5C♭6D♭7E1F♭2G♭3A4B5C♭6D♭7E1F♭2G♭3A4B5C♭6D♭7E1F♭2G♭3A4B5C♭6D♭7E1F♭2G♭3A4

50 notes of the E phrygian scale are marked across four strings.

This is every place the notes of the E phrygian scale fall on the bass, with each note's name and its scale degree. The roots are marked so you can find your bearings.

Position by position

Position 1 — starts on the ♭2
EADG123456♭2♭345♭6♭71♭2♭345♭6
Position 2 — starts on the ♭3
EADG345678♭345♭6♭71♭2♭345♭6♭7
Position 3 — starts on the 4
EADG567891045♭6♭71♭2♭345♭6♭71
Position 4 — starts on the 5
EADG7891011125♭6♭71♭2♭345♭6♭71♭2
Position 5 — starts on the ♭6
EADG8910111213♭6♭71♭2♭345♭6♭71♭2♭3
Position 6 — starts on the ♭7
EADG101112131415♭71♭2♭345♭6♭71♭2♭34
Position 7 — starts on the 1
EADG1213141516171♭2♭345♭6♭71♭2♭345

The E phrygian scale has seven playable positions, at frets 1–5, 3–7, 5–9, 7–11, 8–12, 10–14 and 12–16.

Each shape starts on a different degree of the scale and fits inside five frets, so your hand can play all of it without moving.

One climb up the neck

EADG123456789101♭2♭345♭6♭71♭2♭345♭6♭71TAB013523573574579

The climb runs from fret 0 to fret 9 and plays fifteen notes.

This is one path from the lowest root to the top of the neck, and it plays each note once, never on two strings. It takes a different number of notes on different strings. The widest stretch on any one string is five frets.