Locrian scale · 7 notes
A Locrian scale on guitar
The A Locrian scale has 7 notes: A, B♭, C, D, E♭, F and G. The unstable mode: ♭2 and ♭5 make its root chord diminished.
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 5. 4th position: frets 4–8.
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 2 flats (B♭ and E♭). Compared with A minor, it has B♭ (♭2) instead of B and E♭ (♭5) instead of E.
| 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 · E♭Am7♭5
- ♭IIB♭B♭ · D · FB♭maj7
- ♭iiiCmC · E♭ · GCm7
- ivDmD · F · ADm7
- ♭VE♭E♭ · G · B♭E♭maj7
- ♭VIFF · A · CF7
- ♭viiGmG · B♭ · DGm7
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) | 5 |
| B (2nd) | 10 |
| G (3rd) | 2 |
| D (4th) | 7 |
| A (5th) | 0, 12 |
| Low E (6th) | 5 |
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 2 flats (B♭ and E♭).
What chords are in A Locrian?
Harmonising the A Locrian scale in thirds gives A° (i°), B♭ (♭II), Cm (♭iii), Dm (iv), E♭ (♭V), F (♭VI) and Gm (♭vii).
Where do you play the A Locrian scale on guitar?
The root, A, is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 and 12 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 4–8, 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.