Locrian scale · 7 notes
F Locrian scale on guitar
The F Locrian scale has 7 notes: F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭ and E♭. The unstable mode: ♭2 and ♭5 make its root chord diminished.
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 1. Open position: frets 0–4.
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 6 flats (G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭ and E♭). 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♭ · C♭Fm7♭5
- ♭IIG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭G♭maj7
- ♭iiiA♭mA♭ · C♭ · E♭A♭m7
- ivB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
- ♭VC♭C♭ · E♭ · G♭C♭maj7
- ♭VID♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭7
- ♭viiE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭E♭m7
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 F♯ major, played from its seventh note, F. See F♯ 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) | 1 |
| B (2nd) | 6 |
| G (3rd) | 10 |
| D (4th) | 3 |
| A (5th) | 8 |
| Low E (6th) | 1 |
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 6 flats (G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭ and E♭).
What chords are in F Locrian?
Harmonising the F Locrian scale in thirds gives F° (i°), G♭ (♭II), A♭m (♭iii), B♭m (iv), C♭ (♭V), D♭ (♭VI) and E♭m (♭vii).
Where do you play the F Locrian scale on guitar?
The root, F, is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 0–4, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as F Locrian?
F Locrian contains exactly the notes of F♯ major, played from its seventh note, F.