B Bebop Locrian Bass Scale
Bass scale — fretboard diagram
B Bebop Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Bebop Locrian scale is a modern bebop variation designed for half-diminished chords. On Bass, the notes are B, C, D, E, F, F#, G, A. It provides a chromatic bridge that helps musicians maintain rhythmic momentum while soloing over highly dissonant and difficult chord changes. Commonly used in Modern Jazz, Post-Bop, Fusion. Notable players include John Coltrane, Woody Shaw, Steve Coleman. Use over m7b5 chords. Maintains bebop rhythmic alignment in the most dissonant harmonic context.
Notes: B, C, D, E, F, F#, G, A
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 5P, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7 b8
Formula: H-W-W-H-H-H-W-W
Number of notes: 8
How to Play B Bebop Locrian on Bass
On bass, locate B on the A string at fret 2. Use a one-finger-per-fret approach starting from the root and span two to three strings. Keep your fretting hand relaxed and practice shifting between positions cleanly.
The B Bebop Locrian scale contains 1 sharp (F#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Practice the B Bebop Locrian scale by playing it ascending with one rhythmic feel (straight eighth notes) and descending with another (swing or triplets) at 80 BPM. This dual approach trains both technical accuracy and rhythmic versatility with the 8 notes of the scale.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on B to let the characteristic intervals of the Bebop Locrian scale come through clearly.
Bass Tips
On bass, use the B Bebop Locrian scale to build walking bass lines by targeting chord tones on strong beats and using scale tones as approach notes. This is the foundation of functional bass playing.
The B Bebop Locrian scale contains 8 notes (B, C, D, E, F, F#, G, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for B Bebop Locrian
The B Bebop Locrian scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 8-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.