Scale Detail
E Phrygian — E E Phrygian
The E Phrygian scale is the third mode of the major scale — the darkest and most exotic of the diatonic modes. Its distinctive flat second (just one semitone above the root) creates the characteristic Spanish/flamenco flavor and intense, brooding quality.
Formula: H – W – W – W – H – W – W
Dark, exotic, Spanish-flavored, and intensely moody. The most dramatic of the minor modes.
The Phrygian mode starts on the third degree of the major scale. Its formula H–W–W–W–H–W–W produces a scale with a minor second — the most distinctive interval. Starting on E, this gives E, F, G, A, B, C, D. The flat second ({notes[1] where n=1}) is just one semitone above the root, creating immediate tension and an exotic, Middle Eastern flavor. This half-step above the tonic is the defining characteristic of Phrygian. The ♭II chord (major chord built on the flat second) is the signature harmonic move in Phrygian music — flamenco guitarists call this the "Andalusian cadence." Phrygian is common in metal and rock for dark, heavy riffs, in flamenco and classical Spanish music, and in film scores for exotic or threatening moods.
Phrygian's lowered 2nd scale degree (just a half step above the root) creates an unmistakably dark, tense, and slightly exotic sound. It's deeply associated with flamenco, metal, and cinematic tension — a mode that feels foreign and powerful.
🌑 Other dark sounds to explore
Chords that naturally occur in the E Phrygian Scale:
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