G# Locrian Bass Scale
Bass scale — fretboard diagram
G# Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The G# Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Bass, the notes are G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#. It sounds highly dissonant and unresolved, as its home chord is a diminished triad. While rare as a primary key, it is a crucial technical tool for jazz musicians improvising over half-diminished chords in tension-heavy passages. The diatonic chords of G# Locrian are G#m7b5, AMaj7, Bm7, C#m7, DMaj7, E7, F#m7. Commonly used in Jazz, Metal, Experimental, Avant-Garde. Notable players include John Coltrane, Meshuggah, Dream Theater. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz ii-V-i in minor keys where the ii chord is half-diminished.
Notes: G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: H-W-W-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Diatonic Chords
G♯m7♭5 — AMaj7 — Bm7 — C♯m7 — DMaj7 — E7 — F♯m7
How to Play G# Locrian on Bass
On bass, locate G# on the E string at fret 4. 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 G# Locrian scale contains 3 sharps (G#, C#, F#). Its relative major is B major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the G# Locrian scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
Try these progressions with the G# Locrian scale: G#m7b5 - C#m7 - DMaj7 - G#m7b5 (I-IV-V-I) or G#m7b5 - AMaj7 - C#m7 - DMaj7 for a more stepwise movement.
Bass Tips
On bass, use the G# 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 G# Locrian scale contains 7 notes (G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for G# Locrian
The G# 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 7-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.