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Phrygian Chords
Introduction

Phrygian Chords are simply sus♭9 chords. They are derived from either the:

Phrygian mode (3rd mode of Major Scale (http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-

lessons/the-basics/modes/)); or
Dorian ♭2 mode (2nd mode of the melodic minor scale
(http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-scales/melodic-minor-modes/)).

And you can use these two modes to improvise over Phrygian Chords.

Unavailable Tensions (AKA Avoid Notes)

Let’s look at the E Phrygian mode (3rd mode of C Major). If we take E Phrygian mode and derive the
tonic 7th chord and tonic 13th chord of that key we get:

E Phrygian Scale = E F G A B C D
Associated 7th Chord = Em7 = E G B D
Associated Extended Chord = Em7♭9♭13 = E G B D F A C

Notice that the extended 13th chord derived from the E Phrygian mode is Em7♭9♭13. Now, as we
learned in the lesson on Available Tensions (http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-
lessons/jazz-chords/available-tensions/), neither the ♭9 nor the ♭13 are available tensions over a
m7 chord. The Phrygian Chord exists to x this problem.

And as we learned in the previous lesson (http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-

chords/suspended-chords/), in Jazz, suspended chords act as substitutions for V7 chords. The
Phrygian Chord is no di erent.

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Phrygian Chords

So let’s look at the Em7♭9♭13 chord again. By changing the ♭3rd into a 4th, we turn
the Em7♭9♭13 into a E7sus♭9♭13. And if we drop the 13th, then we have an  E7sus♭9 (or
Esus♭9) – the E Phrygian Chord. By doing this, we have turned a Em7 chord into an E7 (substitute)
chord. The bene t of this is that the ♭9 and ♭13 ARE BOTH available tensions over a V7 chord.

E7sus♭9 = E A B D F

The E Phrygian Chord can also be derived from the 2nd mode of D melodic minor (E Dorian ♭2
Mode) for the same reason.

Mode Key Notes Voicing Avoid Note

E Phrygian 3rd mode of C Major EFGABCDE LH: E C

RH: F A B E

E Dorian b2 2nd mode of D melodic minor E F G A B C# D E LH: E None

RH: F A C# E

The only di erence between the two scales is that the E Dorian ♭2 has a C# while the E Phrygian
has a C . To di erentiate between the Phrygian Chord derived from the Phrygian mode and the
Dorian ♭2 mode, the latter is generally voiced with a C# (as seen above).

Notice also that the E Phrygian Chord is very similar to a Rootless

(http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-chord-voicings/rootless-voicings/) G13
chord – only with an E in the bass. As such, another way of notating Phrygian Chords is G7/E
 

The Phrygian Chord acts as a substitute for:

V7 Chords;
Regular Sus Chords (which themselves are substitutes for V7 chords);
II-V progressions.

The E Phrygian Chord, being a substitute for an E7, wants to resolve to an AMaj7 chord (down a
5th). Keep in mind that just because a chord is derived FROM a particular key, does NOT mean you
cannot use it IN a di erent key. So just because the E7sus♭9 is derived FROM the key of C Major
(or D melodic minor), does NOT mean you cannot use it over a chord progression IN the key of A
Major. We will return to this idea in detail in the next module on Jazz Scales
(http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-scales/).

So now let’s do exactly that.  Let’s use the E Phrygian Chord to substitute the II and/or V chords of a
II-V-I in A Major:

ii V I

Bm7 E7 AMaj7

Bm7 Esus♭9 AMaj7

Esus♭9 E7 AMaj7

Esus♭9 Esus♭9 AMaj7

Improvisation

The Phrygian mode is a minor scale (http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-

scales/minor-scales/) (it has a ♭3) and as such you would expect to use it over a minor chord.
However, it also has a ♭2 which is one semitone above the root note and therefore an avoid note
(http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-improvisation/avoid-notes/). As a result,
this scale is quite dissonant when played over a m7 chord and thus is generally not used over m7
chords other than the iii chord (the chord from which the mode is derived).

As such, we only use the Phrygian mode to improvise over a:

 Phrygian Chord; or

iii chord.

For example, if we take the chord progression: | Em7 | D7 | GMaj7 ||

This chord progression is in the key of G Major and the Em7 chord is a vi chord. Therefore we should
NOT use the E Phrygian mode to improvise over the Em7.

But, if we take the chord progression: | Em7 | Dm7 | CMaj7 ||

This chord progression is in the key of C Major and the Em7 chord is a iii chord. Therefore we
CAN use the E Phrygian mode to improvise over the Em7.

And, if we take the chord progression: | Bm7 | E7sus♭9 | AMaj7 ||

This chord progression is in the key of A Major and the second chord is a Phrygian chord.
Therefore we CAN use the E Phrygian mode to improvise over the E7sus♭9.

If the above doesn’t make sense, don’t worry. We are skipping ahead a bit. We will cover this topic in
great detail in the next two modules.

Free Guitar Chords

Includes over 3000 of the most commonly used guitar chords. guitaristsreference.com

In Practice

You may occasionally (though not often) see Phrygian Chords written out in lead sheets as either:

E Phryg
E7sus♭9
G7/E

However, you can also use them like a regular chord substitution over a V7 chord.

Have a Listen to

Dolphin Dance ~ Herbie Hancock

Flamenco Sketches ~ Miles Davis
 Spain ~ Chick Corea
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Jazz Piano Tutorial - Phrygian Chords

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