STRINGSCALES

A locrian Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

A string: A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

D string: D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C, D at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

G string: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

B string: C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

High E string: F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

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A locrian

The locrian mode flattens the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th, leaving a diminished chord on the root: the only mode of the major scale with no stable home. That instability is the point. Use it over half-diminished (m7b5) chords in minor ii-V progressions, or in metal where its tritone-against-root tension is a feature rather than a problem.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A

i°

Adim
B♭

bII

B♭maj
C

biii

Cm
D

iv

Dm
E♭

bV

E♭maj
F

bVI

Fmaj
G

bvii

Gm

Characteristic notes: Eb (b5) and Bb (b2), the flat five and flat two that give locrian its unstable, diminished character.

Same notes, different mode

A locrian uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

Bb major · relative majorC dorianD phrygianEb lydianF mixolydianG minor · relative minor

locrian in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Use A locrian over m7b5 chords: arpeggiate root, bIII (C), bV (Eb), bVII (G) first so the ear accepts the flat 5th as a chord tone.
  • The flat 2nd (Bb) against the root and the flat 5th (Eb) against open strings are the darkest intervals here; metal riffs live on exactly those.
  • Resolve somewhere: A locrian phrases work best leading into the chord a half step below A or into the relative major a half step above the root.
  • Compare with locrian #2 (C) over the same m7b5 chord; if the b2 (Bb) clashes with the bass, that natural 2nd is the fix.

How to play A locrian on guitar

Open A is the tonic, and the open D and G above it also belong, so a three-string drone is there before you fret a single note. Roots repeat at fret 5 on both E strings. Box one closes at fret 9, which means the A-shape barre at fret 12 already belongs to the next region. Cm covers the biii chord and the E-shape barre sits at fret 5.

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