STRINGSCALES

A locrian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, G, A, Bb, C#, D, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11

A string: A, Bb, C#, D, Eb, F, G, A at frets 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

D string: D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C#, D at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12

G string: G, A, Bb, C#, D, Eb, F, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12

B string: C#, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb at frets 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

High E string: F, G, A, Bb, C#, D, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11

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A locrian dominant

The locrian dominant scale, the fifth mode of the neapolitan minor scale, puts a major 3rd inside an otherwise locrian frame: flat 2nd, flat 5th, flat 6th, flat 7th. It spells a dominant 7th chord with b9, #11 and b13, so it works over heavily altered dominants where the plain altered scale's sharp 9 is not wanted.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A

I

Amaj♭5
B♭

bII

B♭maj
C♯

III

E♭7no5/C#
D

iv

Dm
E♭

bV

E♭maj
F

bVI+

Faug
G

bvii

Gm

Same notes, different mode

A locrian dominant 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 ionian major #2C# ultralocrianD neapolitan minorEb lydian #6F mixolydian augmentedG romani minor

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

tip
  • Over a 7b9b13 chord with a #11 available, A locrian dominant supplies every alteration while keeping the plain major 3rd (C#).
  • Anchor lines on III and bVII (G), the guide tones; the b2 (Bb), b5 (Eb) and b6 (F) then read as controlled tension instead of wrong notes.
  • Resolve down a half step: the entire scale leans onto the chord one fret below.
  • Compare with the altered scale: this keeps a perfect 4th (D) and drops the #9, a subtly less angry dominant color.

How to play A locrian dominant on guitar

Open A is the root, with the D string a fourth above it, so a drone sits under the middle of the neck. Fret 2 on the G string is the nearest fretted root to the nut, and both E strings carry one at fret 5. Two flats, and the bvii chord reads as Gm. E shape barre lands at fret 5, which means one grip covers box one, and the next box takes over at fret 9.

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