Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic
C# Phrygian b4 Scale
Mode 3 of Harmonic Major: Phrygian with a lowered 4th.
Tap any note to hear it.
C# Phrygian b4 Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|----------------------------------------9-10-12-13-| B|----------------------------------10-12------------| G|--------------------------9-10-13------------------| D|------------------9-11-12--------------------------| A|------------11-12----------------------------------| E|-9-10-12-13----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-| B|----------------------------------12-14-15-------| G|----------------------------13-14----------------| D|----------------11-12-14-15----------------------| A|-------11-12-14----------------------------------| E|-12-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-16-17-| B|----------------------------------14-15-17----------| G|-------------------------13-14-16-------------------| D|-------------------14-15----------------------------| A|----------14-16-17----------------------------------| E|-13-16-17-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-17-19-| B|-------------------------------------17-18----------| G|----------------------------16-18-19----------------| D|----------------------18-19-------------------------| A|----------16-17-19-20-------------------------------| E|-16-17-19-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------19-21-22-| B|-------------------------------------21-22----------| G|-------------------------18-19-21-22----------------| D|----------------18-19-21----------------------------| A|----------19-20-------------------------------------| E|-19-21-22-------------------------------------------|
How to play C# Phrygian b4 on guitar
Find the root first: C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C# on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 9–13. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C# |
| ♭2 | D |
| ♭3 | E |
| ♭4 | F |
| 5 | G# |
| ♭6 | A |
| ♭7 | B |
Chords in C# Phrygian b4
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C# Phrygian b4; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | C#m7 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Dm | Dm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♭III | E | E7 | Mediant |
| ♭IV+ | Faug | Fmaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| v° | G#dim | G#dim7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | A | Amaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C# Phrygian b4 anywhere, even offline.
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Questions
- What notes are in the C# Phrygian b4 Scale?
- The C# Phrygian b4 Scale has 7 notes: C#, D, E, F, G#, A, B.
- What chords are in the C# Phrygian b4 Scale?
- The chords of C# Phrygian b4 are C#m (i), Dm (♭ii), E (♭III), Faug (♭IV+), G#dim (v°), A (♭VI), Bdim (♭vii°).
- What is the formula of the phrygian b4 scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W H W+H H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C# Phrygian b4 on the guitar?
- The root C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 9–13, and four more positions connect it up the neck.