B Super Locrian Pentatonic Bass Scale
Bass scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
B Super Locrian Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale is an aggressive and highly dissonant subset of the altered scale. On Bass, it contains the notes B, D, Eb, F, A. It is a primary tool for advanced jazz guitarists and horn players to create outside tension over altered dominant chords before resolving back to the tonic. Commonly used in Jazz, Avant-Garde, Fusion. Notable players include John Coltrane, Michael Brecker. Use over 7alt, 7#9b13 chords. The pentatonic shortcut for maximum 'outside' tension over altered dominants.
Notes: B, D, Eb, F, A
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4d, 5d, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5
Formula: WH-H-W-4-W
Number of notes: 5
Musical Character
The most dissonant pentatonic — a 5-note distillation of the Altered scale. Every note creates tension against a dominant chord.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Jazz, Avant-Garde, Fusion
Notable players: John Coltrane, Michael Brecker
How to Use the B Super Locrian Pentatonic Scale
Use over 7alt, 7#9b13 chords. The pentatonic shortcut for maximum 'outside' tension over altered dominants.
Origin & Background
Advanced jazz pentatonic extracted from the Super Locrian / Altered scale for efficient improvisation.
How to Play B Super Locrian Pentatonic on Bass
On bass, locate B on the A string at fret 2. This 5-note scale can be played across two strings without shifting, making it ideal for groove-based lines.
The B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 1 flat (Eb). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale ascending and descending at 100 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (B-Eb, D-F) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in B. Try a B5 - F5 - A5 progression. This scale is especially effective in jazz contexts.
Bass Tips
On bass, use the B Super Locrian Pentatonic 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. Aim for a aggressive quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
Super Locrian Pentatonic is the Altered scale pentatonic subset. View B Altered scale
The B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (B, D, Eb, F, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for B Super Locrian Pentatonic
The B Super Locrian Pentatonic 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 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.