A# Bebop Locrian Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
A# Bebop Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A# Bebop Locrian scale is a modern bebop variation designed for half-diminished chords. On Guitar, the notes are A#, B, C#, D#, E, F, F#, G#. 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: A#, B, C#, D#, E, F, F#, G#
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 A# Bebop Locrian on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 6 on the 6th (low E) to find your A# root note. Because this scale has 8 notes, four-notes-per-string stretches may be necessary. Start with a single position and expand gradually. Keep your thumb centered behind the neck for reach.
The A# Bebop Locrian scale contains 5 sharps (A#, C#, D#, F#, G#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the A# Bebop 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.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on A# to let the characteristic intervals of the Bebop Locrian scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the A# Bebop 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.
The A# Bebop Locrian scale contains 8 notes (A#, B, C#, D#, E, F, F#, G#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A# Bebop Locrian
The A# 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.
Explore A# Bebop Locrian Further
- Harmonize the A# Bebop Locrian scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A# Bebop Locrian on Ukulele
- A# Bebop Locrian on Bass
- A# Bebop Locrian on Piano
Explore A# Bebop Locrian in Other Tunings
- A# Bebop Locrian in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Bebop Locrian in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- A# Bebop Locrian in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- A# Bebop Locrian in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Bebop Locrian in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)