STRINGSCALES

B♭ locrian 6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: Fb, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb at frets 0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

A string: Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, G, Ab at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11

D string: Eb, Fb, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db at frets 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11

G string: G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, G at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12

B string: Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, G, Ab, Bb, Cb at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12

High E string: Fb, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb at frets 0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

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Bb 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:

B♭

i°

B♭dim
C♭

bII+

C♭aug
D♭

biii

D♭m
E♭

IV

E♭maj
F♭

bV

F♭maj
G

vi°

Gdim
A♭

bvii

A♭m

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

Same notes, different mode

Bb 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.

Cb major augmentedDb dorian #4Eb phrygian dominantFb lydian #9G ultralocrianAb harmonic minor

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

tip
  • Over a m7b5 chord, use the natural 6th (G) as your feature note: it is the one brightness locrian never has.
  • It is the second mode of harmonic minor: Bb locrian 6 shares every note with the harmonic minor a whole step below.
  • Use Bb 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 (B) and flat 5th (E) low in the phrase, then resolve upward through the natural 6th (G) to the root.

How to play B♭ locrian 6 on guitar

Four open strings land in the scale, and none carries the root or fifth, so a Bb pedal has to be fretted. Nut-nearest root is fret 1 on the A string, which means an A-shape barre sits at the first fret. Six flats mark the signature. Lowest root is fret 6 on the low E, with another at fret 3 on the G string, while box one ends at fret 10.

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