A Locrian Guitar Scale

A Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals

The A Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Guitar, the notes are A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G. 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 A Locrian are Am7b5, BbMaj7, Cm7, Dm7, EbMaj7, F7, Gm7. 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: A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G

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

Am7♭5 — B♭Maj7 — Cm7 — Dm7 — E♭Maj7 — F7 — Gm7

Musical Character

The only mode with a diminished 5th (b5) from the root, making its home chord a diminished triad. This instability means Locrian is almost never used as a key center — it is a tool for tension.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Jazz, Metal, Experimental, Avant-Garde

Notable players: John Coltrane, Meshuggah, Dream Theater

How to Use the A Locrian Scale

Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz ii-V-i in minor keys where the ii chord is half-diminished.

Origin & Background

Named after the Locrians of ancient Greece. Considered 'unusable' for centuries until jazz musicians found its purpose over half-diminished chords.

How to Play A Locrian on Guitar

Place your index finger at fret 5 on the 6th (low E) to find your A root note. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is open position using open A string.

The A Locrian scale contains 2 flats (Bb, Eb). Its relative major is C major, which shares the same key signature.

Practice Routine

Set a metronome to 100 BPM and play the A 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 A Locrian scale: Am7b5 - Dm7 - EbMaj7 - Am7b5 (I-IV-V-I) or Am7b5 - BbMaj7 - Dm7 - EbMaj7 for a more stepwise movement. This scale is especially effective in metal contexts.

Guitar Tips

On guitar, practice the A Locrian scale on a single string from the open position to the 12th fret. This trains your ear to hear the intervals linearly and helps with slide guitar applications. Aim for a unstable quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

Locrian is the 7th mode of the Major scale. View A Major scale

• A Locrian #2
• A Locrian pentatonic
• A Ultralocrian

The A Locrian scale contains 7 notes (A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Locrian

The A 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.

Explore A Locrian Further

• Harmonize the A Locrian scale — triads & 7th chords
• Browse chord progressions
• A Locrian on Ukulele
• A Locrian on Bass
• A Locrian on Piano

Explore A Locrian in Other Tunings

• A Locrian in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
• A Locrian in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
• A Locrian in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
• A Locrian in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
• A Locrian in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
• A Locrian in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
• A Locrian in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
• A Locrian in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
• A Locrian in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
• A Locrian in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
• A Locrian in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
• A Locrian in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
• A Locrian in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
• A Locrian in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)

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