F♯ Phrygian Scale: Notes, Formula & Chords

F♯ Phrygian scale on the piano

F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D – E

Click any highlighted key to hear it, or press Play to hear the scale ascending and descending.

Key facts

Scale type: Phrygian
Number of notes: 7
Formula: H–W–W–W–H–W–W
Parent scale: D Major (degree 3)

What is the Phrygian scale?

Phrygian is the third mode of the major scale — a minor scale with a lowered second. The half step between the first two notes gives it the Spanish and flamenco colour, and it is a staple of metal riffing.

F♯ Phrygian uses the same notes as D Major, started from degree 3 instead of the first. The notes are shared; the tonic, and therefore the sound, is not.

F♯ Phrygian is a scale, not a key. It has no key signature of its own — music that uses it is normally written in the key signature of its parent scale, with any extra accidentals added as they occur.

Scale degrees of F♯ Phrygian

Degree	Note	Interval	Semitones
1	F♯	P1	0
2	G	m2	1
3	A	m3	3
4	B	P4	5
5	C♯	P5	7
6	D	m6	8
7	E	m7	10

Chords in F♯ Phrygian

These are the triads built on each degree of F♯ Phrygian using only notes from the scale.

Other scales on F♯

Every scale type that starts on F♯, for comparison.

Phrygian in every key

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♯ Phrygian scale?

The F♯ Phrygian scale has 7 notes: F♯, G, A, B, C♯, D, E.

What is the formula for the F♯ Phrygian scale?

The F♯ Phrygian scale follows the step pattern H–W–W–W–H–W–W, where H is a half step and W is a whole step.

What scale is F♯ Phrygian derived from?

F♯ Phrygian is the mode of D Major that starts on its 3 degree. Both scales use the same notes but resolve to a different tonic.

What chords are in the F♯ Phrygian scale?

The triads built from the F♯ Phrygian scale are F♯m, G, A, Bm, C♯dim, D, Em.