EADGBE123456789101112b71b2b345b6b7b345b6b71b2b3b6b71b2b345b6b2b345b6b71b245b6b71b2b34b71b2b345b6b7
Fig. 1 · Gb Phrygian · first 12 frets

guitar scale

G♭ Phrygian

G♭1A♭♭♭2B♭♭♭3C♭4D♭5E♭♭♭6F♭♭7

Minor with a flattened second — the half step right above the tonic is the whole character.

The same sounds spelled from the other side are F♯ Phrygian.

on ukuleleon piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · Gb Phrygian, ascending

Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.

The step pattern

G♭HA♭♭WB♭♭WC♭WD♭HE♭♭WF♭WG♭

What is true of it

G♭ Phrygian is G♭, A♭♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭♭ and F♭, and back to G♭.

Its steps are H – W – W – W – H – W – W, where W is a whole step and H a half.

Written correctly it needs 10 alterations, A♭♭, B♭♭ and E♭♭ among them. That is what the letters force, and it is also why nobody writes music in this key: the same notes spelled from the other side are easier to read.

On the same tonic, G♭ natural minor differs from it by exactly one note.

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 48 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

D♭dimdiminishedD♭m7♭5half-diminished seventhG♭mminorG♭m7minor seventh

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on G♭

G♭ DorianmodeG♭ LydianmodeG♭ MixolydianmodeG♭ majormajorG♭ natural minorminorG♭ harmonic minorminor

C phrC♯ phrD♭ phrD phrD♯ phrE♭ phrE phrF phrall 374