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G♯ Phrygian Mode – Guitar

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

Notes in the G♯ phrygian mode

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

G♯ phrygian mode on the whole neck

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G# Phrygian Mode on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (G#).
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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 3–8

EADGBe345678ABC#D#EF#ABC#D#D#EF#AB
G# Phrygian Mode, box 1
e|-------------------------------4-5-7-|
B|-------------------------4-5-7-------|
G|-------------------4-6-8-------------|
D|-------------4-6-7-------------------|
A|-------4-6-7-------------------------|
E|-4-5-7-------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 5–10

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G# Phrygian Mode, box 2
e|-------------------------------------------------5--7--9--|
B|-------------------------------------5--7--9--10----------|
G|----------------------------6--8--9-----------------------|
D|-------------------6--7--9--------------------------------|
A|----------6--7--9-----------------------------------------|
E|-5--7--9--------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 7–13

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G# Phrygian Mode, box 3
e|-------------------------------------------------------------7--9--11-12-|
B|-------------------------------------------------7--9--10-12-------------|
G|-------------------------------------8--9--11-13-------------------------|
D|-------------------------7--9--11-13-------------------------------------|
A|-------------7--9--11-12-------------------------------------------------|
E|-7--9--11-12-------------------------------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 10–15

EADGBe101112131415D#EF#ABC#D#EF#AABC#D#EF#
G# Phrygian Mode, box 4
e|----------------------------------------------11-12-14-|
B|-------------------------------------10-12-14----------|
G|----------------------------11-13-14-------------------|
D|-------------------11-13-14----------------------------|
A|----------11-12-14-------------------------------------|
E|-11-12-14----------------------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 1–5

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G# Phrygian Mode, box 5
e|-----------------------------2-4-5-|
B|-----------------------2-4-5-------|
G|-----------------1-2-4-------------|
D|-----------1-2-4-------------------|
A|-------2-4-------------------------|
E|-2-4-5-----------------------------|

3 G♯ minor licks to play with it

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

Top walk down

Picking · Rock

Five notes down from the high root to the middle one.

e|-4---------|
B|---7-4-----|
G|-------6---|
D|---------6-|
A|-----------|
E|-----------|

Low legato riff

Hammer-on · Pull-off · Rock

The low riff again, with hammer-ons up and a pull-off home.

e|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|----------------------|
D|----------------------|
A|-------4h-6--4--------|
E|-4h-7-----------7p-4--|

Bend and answer

Bend · Blues

Bend the G string up to the next note, then answer it across the top strings. It ends on the 4th, so it leads into your next phrase.

e|----------4-----------|
B|----4--7-----7--4-----|
G|-6b----------------6--|
D|----------------------|
A|----------------------|
E|----------------------|

G♯ minor backing track

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

Psychedelic Bluesy Groove | Guitar Backing Track Jam in G# Minor – Elevated Jam Tracks

Songs in G♯ minor

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

All songs in G♯ minor →

Other scales in G♯

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 G# phrygian mode?

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

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

Start with Box 1, frets 3–8. The root note G# is on the low E string at fret 4.