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C♯ Phrygian Mode – Guitar

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

Notes in the C♯ phrygian mode

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

C♯ phrygian mode on the whole neck

EADGBe123456789101112131415EF#G#ABDEF#ABDEF#G#ABDEF#G#ABDEG#ABDEF#G#ABDEF#G#ABDEF#G#ABDEF#
C# Phrygian Mode on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (C#).
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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 8–13

EADGBe8910111213DEF#G#ABDEF#G#G#ABDE
C# Phrygian Mode, box 1
e|----------------------------------------------9--10-12-|
B|-------------------------------------9--10-12----------|
G|----------------------------9--11-13-------------------|
D|-------------------9--11-12----------------------------|
A|----------9--11-12-------------------------------------|
E|-9--10-12----------------------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 10–15

EADGBe101112131415DEF#G#ABDEF#G#AABDDEF#
C# Phrygian Mode, box 2
e|-------------------------------------------------10-12-14-|
B|-------------------------------------10-12-14-15----------|
G|----------------------------11-13-14----------------------|
D|-------------------11-12-14-------------------------------|
A|----------11-12-14----------------------------------------|
E|-10-12-14-------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 1–6

EADGBe123456EF#G#AABDDEF#G#G#ABBDEEF#G#A
C# Phrygian Mode, box 3
e|---------------------------------2-4-5-|
B|---------------------------2-3-5-------|
G|-------------------1-2-4-6-------------|
D|-------------2-4-6---------------------|
A|-------2-4-5---------------------------|
E|-2-4-5---------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 3–8

EADGBe345678G#ABDEF#G#ABDDEF#G#AB
C# Phrygian Mode, box 4
e|-------------------------------4-5-7-|
B|-------------------------3-5-7-------|
G|-------------------4-6-7-------------|
D|-------------4-6-7-------------------|
A|-------4-5-7-------------------------|
E|-4-5-7-------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 5–10

EADGBe5678910ABDDEF#G#ABDEEF#G#AABD
C# Phrygian Mode, box 5
e|----------------------------------------------------5--7--9--10-|
B|----------------------------------------5--7--9--10-------------|
G|-------------------------------6--7--9--------------------------|
D|----------------------6--7--9-----------------------------------|
A|-------------5--7--9--------------------------------------------|
E|-5--7--9--10----------------------------------------------------|

3 C♯ minor licks to play with it

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

Three steps home

Picking · Blues

The three notes every blues solo walks down to the root.

e|----------|
B|----------|
G|-11-9-----|
D|-------11-|
A|----------|
E|----------|

Ask and answer

Hammer-on · Pull-off · Blues

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

e|-------------------------|
B|---------9---------------|
G|-9h--11------11p-9-------|
D|---------------------11--|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|

First bend

Bend · Blues

Bend until it matches the next note, then walk home.

e|---------------------|
B|-----9---------------|
G|-11b-----11--9-------|
D|-----------------11--|
A|---------------------|
E|---------------------|

C♯ minor backing track

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

Slow Blues Rock Ballad Jam | Guitar Backing Track in C# Minor – Now YOU Shred Backing Tracks

Songs in C♯ minor

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

All songs in C♯ minor →

Other scales in C♯

Phrygian Mode in other keys

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

Learn to solo

FAQ

What notes are in the C# phrygian mode?

C#, D, E, F#, G#, A, B. The formula is 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.

Where do I start playing the C# phrygian mode on guitar?

Start with Box 1, frets 8–13. The root note C# is on the low E string at fret 9.