Phrygian Chords

Here's a little chat about Phrygian Chords (AKA sus b9 or 7sus4 b9). Why are they called Phrygian chords and where do they come from, how can you use them. Hopefully this little video helps understand them a little better and find a way or two of using them.

Thanks for being here. Would love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts!
Cheers
MK

My Equipment:

Video chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:38 What's a Phrygian chord?
02:09 Voicing trick 1
04:04 What's in a name?
04:45 Voicing trick 2
05:35 Dorian b2
06:22 When to use them

[GizzyDillespee]

All you did is take the 3rd completely out of the equation - instead of committing to major or minor, you postpone collapsing the waveform. Which is excellent - very modern sounding.

[vocalchords]

I find your delivery and the technical details you share, utterly compelling. I am a non-jazz-educated choral / organist and the lexicon of chord names compared to how I have met some of these in my professional life at the organ console, are such a joyous delight. Your way of 'talking' to me as I listen, is simply wonderful - thank you so much - my musicianship is ever more capacious and enriched as I learn from your videos!

[Ambidextroid]

2:08 You can take this idea step further, if you move your typical dominant 13 or dominant 9 voicing up a minor third you get your Phrygian dominant as you explain, but if you move it up a minor third again then you get your typical altered dominant voicings. So you can make patterns by repeating the shape in minor thirds to climb down from altered to Phrygian to the unaltered dominant or the other way around.

[a.billmoyerproject]

Hi. Found your channel just recently and it's really gotten me interested in actually learning some "real" music theory. I am 63 and played guitar and some keys/synths by the seat of my pants for 30 or so years. What really helps me are your screen overlays. If I just heard you explain most parts of this video it would soar over my head at blazing speeds. But seeing the Notes on the staff and keys I am actually able to absorb this instruction. Add that to your calm and direct presentation and it really hits me. Thanks for posting it and putting in so much work so unselfishly. ❤

[TracingFlares]

really good insight. Thanks for your exceptional teaching

[evanbeuther]

Really great video after a long day. Now I can just sit and play some piano with more ideas. Thanks.

[mbmillermo]

Correction: Your music notation at 5:12 is incorrect because both chords have G on top but you wrote F. The chord names to suggest F, but you play G and your 11 and R both indicate G.

Your videos are great. Thanks. I will be recommending them.

[robertratti]

You are a fabulous teacher…I’m a singer songwriter always looking out for ideas…and your explanations are worth the price of admission…even though I got in free!…bravo!🎉

[joyfulfrequencies]

Always interesting lessons! Thank you!
In the Arabic scales, the Phrygian chord (scale) 1:59 has three similar half note modes 'let's say' on the minor scale,
which are; (Kurd, Nahawand, and Heejaz). These modes are beautifully romantic and spiritual..
That's why the Phrygian mode is unique and one of my favorites..

[BrandonJGuitarist]

I’m sure someone already said this but there is a typo on the screen at 5:20. G should be the top note of both voicings. Regardless thanks for everything.

[charlemagnekokodoko]

Your Channel is the best educational Jazz Channel ever on YouTube. Wow. Love it ❤

[carymeout]

Well done. Very enjoyable. I'll try putting this to use in my practice... 🤔

[brianmwamba]

Thank you for taking your time to teach we are really learning ❤❤

[ArgoBeats]

So pretty and useful, thank you Michael!

[pillmuncher]

Rick Beato calls the chord built from the 1, 2♭ and 5 the Phrygian triad and 1, 4♯ and 5 the Lydian triad.

[DonSolaris]

Always good stuff, thanks. Re: names, I call it "Jazz chord" :D

[Harpsea]

so im lost because i thought phrygian scale sounds like the jaws theme song

[oldservantrecordings]

you''re the king of the internet

[richardruckert]

Thank you for this. I appreciate the follow up.
In the last video, this idea stemmed from taking a diminished chord and lowering any note of the diminished by a semi-tone to create a dom7.

This was elaborated upon to leaving the diminished voicing as is, then lowering the B to a Bb in the bass created the b9 chord.
The question arose around the scale to use over the Bb flat 9.
In this video, the Dom chord is a G b7, b9, which used R, b3, b5, 4, 5, b6, b7 as scale tones for improv..

Continuing the dim to flat 9 example with Bb in the bass, we have Bb, B, D, F Ab.
Do we use scale tones Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab?

I suppose I could just try it to sense the sound

[NewEarthTransition]

Thank you for these lessons. Great style of teaching and the sound levels for the videos are great. I've got a question.
In this video and the modal interchange video you discuss the parallel key swap. How do you work out the scale of chords for the modes. Are they related to the parent major or minor? For instance phrygian has a flat2, can that be any chord with a flat 2 or 9? From your example of a 1 4 2 5 1 progtession, you've swapped the dm7 for a d flat major because it's the 2 chord of c phrygian, but why is it a major. How do you know the type of chord it is in the scale of chords for that particular mode? For all the intervals of all the modes. I know the modes but not the chords. Whatt are they in relation to?