Learning the phrygian scale mode in key of A♭ on Bass guitar - Interactive fretboard

How to play the phrygian mode on the bass guitar in the key of A♭

Modes of a scale are constructed by moving the root note (tonic) on the different degrees of this scale. There are seven modes in the major scale, these are the most important modes. Modes are also names as ecclesiastical modes or church modes.

Mode	Notes	Interval	Scale degree
F♭ ionian (also known as Major scale)	F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭	w-w-h-w-w-w-h	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
G♭ dorian	G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭	w-h-w-w-w-h-w	1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7
A♭ phrygian	A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭	h-w-w-w-h-w-w	1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
B♭♭ lydian	B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭	w-w-w-h-w-w-h	1, 2, 3, ♯4, 5, 6, 7
C♭ mixolydian	C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭	w-w-h-w-w-h-w	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7
D♭ aeolian (also known as Minor scale)	D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭	w-h-w-w-h-w-w	1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
E♭ locrian	E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭	h-w-w-h-w-w-w	1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7

A♭ phrygian

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A♭B♭♭C♭D♭E♭F♭G♭

A♭ phrygian scale notes

Relative chords of A♭ phrygian scale mode

To understand a mode better, it is recommended to play the patterns starting with the root note. The root is a very important note which gives its name to a scale.

In the following table you can see which chord belongs to which mode, starting from the major scale.
As you see, for A♭ phrygian the F♭ is the chord that belong to the major scale.
So you can say that Another fun fact is that the sixth chord is D♭m, which relates to the minor scale.

Mode	Triad	Seventh chord
F♭ ionian (Major scale)	F♭ (F♭, A♭, C♭)	F♭maj7 (F♭, A♭, C♭, E♭)
G♭ dorian	G♭m (G♭, B♭♭, D♭)	G♭m7 (G♭, B♭♭, D♭, F♭)
A♭ phrygian	A♭m (A♭, C♭, E♭)	A♭m7 (A♭, C♭, E♭, G♭)
B♭♭ lydian	B♭♭ (B♭♭, D♭, F♭)	B♭♭maj7 (B♭♭, D♭, F♭, A♭)
C♭ mixolydian	C♭ (C♭, E♭, G♭)	C♭7 (C♭, E♭, G♭, B♭♭)
D♭ aeolian (Minor scale)	D♭m (D♭, F♭, A♭)	D♭m7 (D♭, F♭, A♭, C♭)
E♭ locrian	E♭dim (E♭, G♭, B♭♭)	E♭half dim7 (E♭, G♭, B♭♭, D♭)

Next: Suspended chords