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B♭ Phrygian Mode – Guitar

A minor scale with a flat 2nd: the dark, Spanish and metal sound. Here it is in B♭: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.

Notes in the B♭ phrygian mode

Formula: 1 – b2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – b7. Use it to solo over songs in B♭ minor, and over B♭ blues and rock progressions.

B♭ phrygian mode on the whole neck

EADGBe123456789101112131415FGbAbCbDbEbFGbCbDbEbFGbAbCbEbFGbAbCbDbEbFAbCbDbEbFGbAbCbDbEbFGbAbCbDbFGbAbCbDbEbFGb
Bb Phrygian Mode on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (Bb).
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The 5 boxes (positions) with TAB

Each box is one hand position. Learn Box 1 first: play it up with the TAB, then back down, then move to the next box – together they cover the whole neck.

Box 1 · frets 5–10

EADGBe5678910CbDbEbFGbAbCbDbEbFFGbAbCbDb
Bb Phrygian Mode, box 1
e|----------------------------------------------6--7--9--|
B|-------------------------------------6--7--9-----------|
G|----------------------------6--8--10-------------------|
D|-------------------6--8--9-----------------------------|
A|----------6--8--9--------------------------------------|
E|-6--7--9-----------------------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 7–12

EADGBe789101112CbDbEbFGbAbCbDbEbFGbGbAbCbCbDbEb
Bb Phrygian Mode, box 2
e|-------------------------------------------------7--9--11-|
B|-------------------------------------7--9--11-12----------|
G|----------------------------8--10-11----------------------|
D|-------------------8--9--11-------------------------------|
A|----------8--9--11----------------------------------------|
E|-7--9--11-------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 9–15

EADGBe9101112131415DbEbFGbGbAbCbCbDbEbFFGbAbAbCbDbDbEbFGb
Bb Phrygian Mode, box 3
e|-------------------------------------------------------------9--11-13-14-|
B|-------------------------------------------------9--11-12-14-------------|
G|-------------------------------------10-11-13-15-------------------------|
D|-------------------------9--11-13-15-------------------------------------|
A|-------------9--11-13-14-------------------------------------------------|
E|-9--11-13-14-------------------------------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 1–5

EADGBe12345FGbAbCbDbEbFGbAbCbCbDbEbFGbAb
Bb Phrygian Mode, box 4
e|-----------------------------1-2-4-|
B|-------------------------2-4-------|
G|-------------------1-3-4-----------|
D|-------------1-3-4-----------------|
A|-------1-2-4-----------------------|
E|-1-2-4-----------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 2–7

EADGBe234567GbAbCbCbDbEbFGbAbCbDbDbEbFGbGbAbCb
Bb Phrygian Mode, box 5
e|-----------------------------------2-4-6-7-|
B|---------------------------2-4-6-7---------|
G|---------------------3-4-6-----------------|
D|---------------3-4-6-----------------------|
A|---------2-4-6-----------------------------|
E|-2-4-6-7-----------------------------------|

3 B♭ minor licks to play with it

Box 1 licks from the JamEase lick library, written for B♭ minor (h = hammer-on, p = pull-off, / = slide, b = bend, ~ = vibrato).

Don't come home yet

Picking · Rock

Down the box, and stop on the 5th: not home yet. Follow it with a phrase that lands on the root.

e|-----------------|
B|-6-9-6-----------|
G|-------8-6-------|
D|-----------8-6---|
A|---------------8-|
E|-----------------|

Ask and answer

Hammer-on · Pull-off · Blues

A short question, a rest, then the answer. Leave the space.

e|-------------------|
B|-------6-----------|
G|-6h-8-----8p-6-----|
D|----------------8--|
A|-------------------|
E|-------------------|

Question and answer

Slide · Bend · Vibrato · Blues

A question that stops on the 4th, a breath, then an answer with a bend that lands on the high root.

e|-------------------------------6~-|
B|-------6--9--6-----------6--9-----|
G|-6/-8-----------8--8b-8-----------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|

B♭ minor backing track

Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.

Minor Blues backing Track in A# Minor | Soul Blues – Fret Junkies

Songs in B♭ minor

These songs are in B♭ minor, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:

All songs in B♭ minor →

Other scales in B♭

Phrygian Mode in other keys

Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.

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FAQ

What notes are in the Bb phrygian mode?

Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab. The formula is 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.

Where do I start playing the Bb phrygian mode on guitar?

Start with Box 1, frets 5–10. The root note Bb is on the low E string at fret 6.