E Phrygian Mode – Guitar

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

Notes in the E phrygian mode

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

E phrygian mode on the whole neck

E Phrygian Mode on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (E).

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<p><a href="https://jamease.app/scales/e-phrygian">E Phrygian Mode on guitar</a> – diagram by JamEase</p>

The JamEase course map: chapter 1, Solo Foundations

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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 11–16

E Phrygian Mode, box 1

e|----------------------------------------------12-13-15-|
B|-------------------------------------12-13-15----------|
G|----------------------------12-14-16-------------------|
D|-------------------12-14-15----------------------------|
A|----------12-14-15-------------------------------------|
E|-12-13-15----------------------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 1–6

E Phrygian Mode, box 2

e|---------------------------------1-3-5-|
B|-------------------------1-3-5-6-------|
G|-------------------2-4-5---------------|
D|-------------2-3-5---------------------|
A|-------2-3-5---------------------------|
E|-1-3-5---------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 3–9

E Phrygian Mode, box 3

e|-----------------------------------------3-5-7-8-|
B|---------------------------------3-5-6-8---------|
G|-------------------------4-5-7-9-----------------|
D|-----------------3-5-7-9-------------------------|
A|---------3-5-7-8---------------------------------|
E|-3-5-7-8-----------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 6–11

E Phrygian Mode, box 4

e|----------------------------------------------7--8--10-|
B|-------------------------------------6--8--10----------|
G|----------------------------7--9--10-------------------|
D|-------------------7--9--10----------------------------|
A|----------7--8--10-------------------------------------|
E|-7--8--10----------------------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 8–13

E Phrygian Mode, box 5

e|----------------------------------------------------8--10-12-13-|
B|----------------------------------------8--10-12-13-------------|
G|-------------------------------9--10-12-------------------------|
D|----------------------9--10-12----------------------------------|
A|-------------8--10-12-------------------------------------------|
E|-8--10-12-13----------------------------------------------------|

3 E minor licks to play with it

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

Climb to the high root

Picking · Soulful

Three notes up the top strings to the high root.

e|-------12-|
B|-12-15----|
G|----------|
D|----------|
A|----------|
E|----------|

Hammer climb

Hammer-on · Soulful

Hammer-on pairs up three strings to the high root.

e|-----------------12--|
B|---------12h-15------|
G|-12h-14--------------|
D|---------------------|
A|---------------------|
E|---------------------|

Blue note run

Vibrato · Blues

Up through the blue note and back home.

e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-12--14--15--14--12------|
D|---------------------14~-|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|

E minor backing track

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

Sad Slow Blues Backing Track Jam in E minor | SZBT 819 – Sebastien Zunino

Songs in E minor

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

Let Her Go – Passenger
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Zombie – The Cranberries
Karma Police – Radiohead
Take Me To Church – Hozier
Another Love – Tom Odell
Nothing Else Matters – Metallica
So Far Away – Avenged Sevenfold
Ocean Eyes – Billie Eilish
Heart Of Gold – Neil Young
Safe And Sound – Taylor Swift
Killing Me Softly – Fugees

All songs in E minor →

Other scales in E

Phrygian Mode in other keys

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