STRINGSCALES

F locrian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, Gb, A, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb at frets 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11

A string: A, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, A at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12

D string: Eb, F, Gb, A, Bb, Cb, Db at frets 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11

G string: A, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb at frets 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

B string: Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, A, Bb, Cb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12

High E string: F, Gb, A, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb at frets 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11

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F 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:

F

I

Fmaj♭5
G♭

bII

G♭maj
A

III

C♭7no5/A
B♭

iv

B♭m
C♭

bV

C♭maj
D♭

bVI+

D♭aug
E♭

bvii

E♭m

Same notes, different mode

F 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.

Gb ionian major #2A ultralocrianBb neapolitan minorCb lydian #6Db mixolydian augmentedEb romani minor

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

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

How to play F locrian dominant on guitar

Both E strings carry a root at fret 1, which puts the whole key one fret off open position. Only two open strings belong, the A string on the major third and the B string on the diminished fifth, so neither will hold a pedal. Five flats, or capo 1 and read in E. Roots climb to fret 3 on the D string, fret 6 on the B, and fret 8 on the A, where the barre sits.

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