F# Locrian Pentatonic Bass Scale
Bass scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
F# Locrian Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals
The F# Locrian Pentatonic scale is an unstable and mysterious scale used to evoke tension and ambiguity. On Bass, its notes are F#, A, B, C, E. It is often found in experimental music and certain Indian Ragas, providing a dissonant, outside sound that is perfect for dark, avant-garde, or high-tension compositions. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Experimental, Progressive. Notable players include John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz solos over ii chords in minor ii-V-i progressions.
Notes: F#, A, B, C, E
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4P, 5d, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5
Formula: WH-W-H-4-W
Number of notes: 5
Also known as: minor seven flat five pentatonic
Musical Character
The darkest pentatonic — contains the b5 that defines the Locrian sound. Excellent for outlining m7b5 chords in jazz with minimal notes.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Jazz, Fusion, Experimental, Progressive
Notable players: John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel
How to Use the F# Locrian Pentatonic Scale
Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz solos over ii chords in minor ii-V-i progressions.
Origin & Background
Jazz-derived pentatonic for navigating half-diminished chord changes with clarity.
How to Play F# Locrian Pentatonic on Bass
On bass, locate F# on the E string at fret 2. This 5-note scale can be played across two strings without shifting, making it ideal for groove-based lines.
The F# Locrian Pentatonic 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
Begin by playing the F# Locrian Pentatonic scale ascending and descending at 100 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (F#-B, A-C) 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 F#. Try a F#5 - C5 - E5 progression. This scale is especially effective in progressive contexts.
Bass Tips
On bass, use the F# 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 dark quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
Locrian Pentatonic is the Five-note Locrian subset. View F# Locrian scale
The F# Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (F#, A, B, C, E). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for F# Locrian Pentatonic
The F# 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.