Locrian scale · 7 notes
F♯ Locrian scale on guitar
The F♯ Locrian scale (F sharp Locrian scale) has 7 notes: F♯, G, A, B, C, D and E. The unstable mode: ♭2 and ♭5 make its root chord diminished. You may also see it written as G♭ Locrian, but F♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- F♯
- G
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W – W – H – W – W – W
Sound
Unstable, tense and dissonant
F♯ Locrian on the whole fretboard
Every F♯ Locrian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, F♯, 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
F♯ at fret 2. 1st position: frets 1–5.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of F♯ Locrian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from F♯, the F♯ Locrian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 1 sharp (F♯). Compared with F♯ minor, it has G (♭2) instead of G♯ and C (♭5) instead of C♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | G | minor 2nd | 1 |
| ♭3 | A | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | B | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | C | diminished 5th | 6 |
| ♭6 | D | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | E | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in F♯ Locrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to F♯ Locrian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in F♯ Locrian.
- i°F♯°F♯ · A · CF♯m7♭5
- ♭IIGG · B · DGmaj7
- ♭iiiAmA · C · EAm7
- ivBmB · D · F♯Bm7
- ♭VCC · E · GCmaj7
- ♭VIDD · F♯ · AD7
- ♭viiEmE · G · BEm7
Progressions to try
- F♯° – G i°–♭II
- F♯° – C – G i°–♭V–♭II
How to use F♯ 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.
- F♯ Locrian contains exactly the notes of G major, played from its seventh note, F♯. See G major.
Where to find F♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every F♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with F♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 2 |
| B (2nd) | 7 |
| G (3rd) | 11 |
| D (4th) | 4 |
| A (5th) | 9 |
| Low E (6th) | 2 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as F♯ Locrian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
F♯ Locrian scale FAQ
What notes are in the F♯ Locrian scale?
The F♯ Locrian scale has 7 notes: F♯, G, A, B, C, D and E. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 1 sharp (F♯).
What chords are in F♯ Locrian?
Harmonising the F♯ Locrian scale in thirds gives F♯° (i°), G (♭II), Am (♭iii), Bm (iv), C (♭V), D (♭VI) and Em (♭vii).
Where do you play the F♯ Locrian scale on guitar?
The root, F♯, is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 1–5, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as F♯ Locrian?
F♯ Locrian contains exactly the notes of G major, played from its seventh note, F♯.