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G locrian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, G, Ab, B, C, Db, Eb at frets 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11

A string: B, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab at frets 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

D string: Eb, F, G, Ab, B, C, Db at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11

G string: G, Ab, B, C, Db, Eb, F, G at frets 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

B string: B, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, B at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12

High E string: F, G, Ab, B, C, Db, Eb at frets 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11

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G 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:

G

I

Gmaj♭5
A♭

bII

A♭maj
B

III

D♭7no5/B
C

iv

Cm
D♭

bV

D♭maj
E♭

bVI+

E♭aug
F

bvii

Fm

Same notes, different mode

G 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.

Ab ionian major #2B ultralocrianC neapolitan minorDb lydian #6Eb mixolydian augmentedF romani minor

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

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

How to play G locrian dominant on guitar

Open G is the root and the open B the major third, so two strings hold a drone on their own. Roots sit at fret 3 on both E strings and fret 5 on the D. Three flats, and the iv chord reads as Cm. Box one starts at fret 3 and the next takes over at fret 7, which means the low shapes stay compact.

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