Locrian scale · 7 notes
A♯ Locrian scale on guitar
The A♯ Locrian scale (A sharp Locrian scale) has 7 notes: A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯ and G♯. The unstable mode: ♭2 and ♭5 make its root chord diminished. You may also see it written as B♭ Locrian, but A♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- A♯
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W – W – H – W – W – W
Sound
Unstable, tense and dissonant
A♯ Locrian on the whole fretboard
Every A♯ Locrian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, A♯, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
A♯ at fret 6. 5th position: frets 5–9.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of A♯ Locrian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from A♯, the A♯ Locrian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 5 sharps (A♯, C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯). Compared with B♭ minor, it has B (♭2) instead of C and E (♭5) instead of F.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | B | minor 2nd | 1 |
| ♭3 | C♯ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | D♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | E | diminished 5th | 6 |
| ♭6 | F♯ | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | G♯ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in A♯ Locrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to A♯ Locrian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in A♯ Locrian.
- i°A♯°A♯ · C♯ · EA♯m7♭5
- ♭IIBB · D♯ · F♯Bmaj7
- ♭iiiC♯mC♯ · E · G♯C♯m7
- ivD♯mD♯ · F♯ · A♯D♯m7
- ♭VEE · G♯ · BEmaj7
- ♭VIF♯F♯ · A♯ · C♯F♯7
- ♭viiG♯mG♯ · B · D♯G♯m7
Progressions to try
- A♯° – B i°–♭II
- A♯° – E – B i°–♭V–♭II
How to use A♯ Locrian
Reach for it over m7♭5 (half-diminished) chords, the ii chord of a minor key, and heavy metal riffs that avoid resolution. Its sound is unstable, tense and dissonant.
Tip: You will use Locrian far more over a single m7♭5 chord (the ii in a minor ii–V–i) than as the key of a whole song.
- A♯ Locrian contains exactly the notes of B major, played from its seventh note, A♯. See B major.
Where to find A♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every A♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with A♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 6 |
| B (2nd) | 11 |
| G (3rd) | 3 |
| D (4th) | 8 |
| A (5th) | 1 |
| Low E (6th) | 6 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as A♯ Locrian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
A♯ Locrian scale FAQ
What notes are in the A♯ Locrian scale?
The A♯ Locrian scale has 7 notes: A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯ and G♯. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 5 sharps (A♯, C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯).
What chords are in A♯ Locrian?
Harmonising the A♯ Locrian scale in thirds gives A♯° (i°), B (♭II), C♯m (♭iii), D♯m (iv), E (♭V), F♯ (♭VI) and G♯m (♭vii).
Where do you play the A♯ Locrian scale on guitar?
The root, A♯, is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 5–9, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as A♯ Locrian?
A♯ Locrian contains exactly the notes of B major, played from its seventh note, A♯.