STRINGSCALES

F ultralocrian Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, Gb, Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Ebb at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10

A string: Bbb, Cb, Db, Ebb, F, Gb, Abb, Bbb at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12

D string: Ebb, F, Gb, Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Ebb at frets 0, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

G string: Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Ebb, F, Gb, Abb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12

B string: Cb, Db, Ebb, F, Gb, Abb, Bbb, Cb at frets 0, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12

High E string: F, Gb, Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Ebb at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10

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F ultralocrian

The ultralocrian scale is the seventh mode of the harmonic minor scale: locrian with its 4th and 7th squeezed down further, leaving a diminished 7th chord spelled straight up the scale. Everything in it wants to collapse inward, which makes it a natural over diminished 7th chords and the darkest corners of metal and jazz vocabulary.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

F

I

A𝄫7no5/F
G♭

bii

G♭m
A𝄫

bbIII

A𝄫maj
B𝄫

bIV+

B𝄫aug
C♭

bv

C♭m
D♭

bVI

D♭majb5
E𝄫

bbVII

E𝄫maj

Characteristic note: D (bb7), the double-flat seventh that makes this the darkest mode of harmonic minor.

Same notes, different mode

F ultralocrian 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 neapolitan minorG lydian #6A mixolydian augmentedCb romani minorDb locrian dominantD ionian major #2

ultralocrian in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Use F ultralocrian over a diminished 7th chord: the double-flat 7th (D) is the chord's own diminished 7th, spelled into the scale.
  • It is harmonic minor's seventh mode: play F a half step up in harmonic minor fingering and you are already here.
  • Everything wants to fall; resolve the whole line down a half step into the major or minor chord below.
  • For extreme metal color, pedal the open root against b2 (Gb), b4 (A) and b5 (B); there is no darker mode in the harmonic minor family.

How to play F ultralocrian on guitar

Fret 1 on both the low E and high E strings carries the root, so the lowest possible barre position covers this entire key. A capo there instead gives E fingering, which means the double-flat spelling stays a paper problem. Diatonic harmony turns up Gbm, Cbm, and Bbbaug, and a functional dominant never appears among the chords. Box one closes at fret 5.

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