STRINGSCALES

A locrian 6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F#, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

A string: A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F#, G, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12

D string: D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb, C, D at frets 0, 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

G string: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F#, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12

B string: C, D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11

High E string: F#, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

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A locrian 6

The locrian 6 scale, the second mode of the harmonic minor scale, is locrian with a natural 6th. The raised 6th relieves a little of locrian's claustrophobia and adds a strange brightness above the flat 5th. Use it over m7b5 chords in a minor key when the harmony is heading toward a harmonic-minor V chord.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A

i°

Adim
B♭

bII+

B♭aug
C

biii

Cm
D

IV

Dmaj
E♭

bV

E♭maj
F♯

vi°

F♯dim
G

bvii

Gm

Characteristic note: F# (natural 6), the natural sixth that softens locrian's darkness.

Same notes, different mode

A locrian 6 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 augmentedC dorian #4D phrygian dominantEb lydian #9F# ultralocrianG harmonic minor

locrian 6 in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Over a m7b5 chord, use the natural 6th (F#) as your feature note: it is the one brightness locrian never has.
  • It is the second mode of harmonic minor: A locrian 6 shares every note with the harmonic minor a whole step below.
  • Use A locrian 6 when the m7b5 chord moves on to a V7b9; the shared harmonic minor parent makes the two bars one continuous line.
  • Balance the register: keep the flat 2nd (Bb) and flat 5th (Eb) low in the phrase, then resolve upward through the natural 6th (F#) to the root.

How to play A locrian 6 on guitar

Open A is the root, with open D a perfect fourth above, so a drone under this key needs no fretting. Open G adds the lowered seventh. Fretted roots sit at fret 2 on the G string, fret 5 on both E strings, plus fret 10 on the B string, so anchors spread across the neck. Box one ends at fret 9, and Adim is the tonic triad.

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