STRINGSCALES

E locrian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

G string: G#, A, Bb, C, D, E, F at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10

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

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

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E 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:

E

I

Emaj♭5
F

bII

Fmaj
G♯

III

B♭7no5/G#
A

iv

Am
B♭

bV

B♭maj
C

bVI+

Caug
D

bvii

Dm

Same notes, different mode

E 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.

F ionian major #2G# ultralocrianA neapolitan minorBb lydian #6C mixolydian augmentedD romani minor

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

tip
  • Over a 7b9b13 chord with a #11 available, E locrian dominant supplies every alteration while keeping the plain major 3rd (G#).
  • Anchor lines on III and bVII (D), the guide tones; the b2 (F), b5 (Bb) and b6 (C) 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 (A) and drops the #9, a subtly less angry dominant color.

How to play E locrian dominant on guitar

Both E strings ring the root without a finger down, so the tonic can drone under everything you play. Four open strings belong, and the A string gives a fourth above the root, which means open-position phrases stay in the key. Next roots up are fret 2 on the D string and fret 5 on the B. One sharp, and box one ends at fret 4.

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