STRINGSCALES

G♯ locrian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F#, G#, A, B#, C#, D, E at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12

A string: A, B#, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A at frets 0, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

D string: D, E, F#, G#, A, B#, C#, D at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12

G string: G#, A, B#, C#, D, E, F# at frets 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11

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

High E string: E, F#, G#, A, B#, C#, D, E at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12

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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

G#maj♭5
A

bII

Amaj
B♯

III

D7no5/B♯
C♯

iv

C♯m
D

bV

Dmaj
E

bVI+

Eaug
F♯

bvii

F♯m

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.

A ionian major #2B# ultralocrianC# neapolitan minorD lydian #6E 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 (C).
  • Anchor lines on III and bVII (F#), the guide tones; the b2 (A), b5 (D) and b6 (E) 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

Fret 1 on the G string holds the root nearest the nut, which lets you work below the barre entirely. Four open strings sit in the key, and the open D lands a diminished fifth above, so none of them will carry a pedal. Four sharps, or capo 1 and play in G. Deepest root is fret 4 on the low E, with the A shape up at fret 11.

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