Phrygian Phlyng

The Phrygian Mode offers jazz improvisers and composers rich opportunities to express their unique personalities.

In its simplest form, the modern Phrygian Mode can be pictured on the piano’s white notes from E to E.

But in the context of flamenco and Middle Eastern music, the Phrygian Mode offers a compelling, exotic flavor. That’s partly because its root falls on the syllable MI, but also because of the two augmented second intervals, as shown below.

Listen for this exotic flavor in songs such as “Hava Nagila,” “Misirlou” (popularized by Dick Dale in 1962), and Juan Tizol’s “Caravan” (made famous by Duke Ellington in 1938).

I was thinking about the Phrygian Mode while practicing the other day, and this four-bar phrase popped out. It’s just plain vanilla Phrygian, without the augmented seconds, but I enjoyed shedding it and thought you might find it helpful as well.

Below is a chart and recording of the phrase in all 12 keys, if you want to try shedding it. Depending on whether your axe is Bb, Eb, or concert key, begin where indicated and take the d.c. if necessary. Should you prefer a bass clef edition, contact me using the form below.