A# Locrian Major Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
A# Locrian Major Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A# Locrian Major scale is a 20th-century hybrid that combines the stability of a major third with the dissonance of a Locrian base. On Guitar, it contains the notes A#, C, D, D#, E, F#, G#. It was used by experimental composers to create a sound that is both familiar and alien. Commonly used in Experimental, Contemporary Classical, Avant-Garde. Notable players include Bela Bartok, Gyorgy Ligeti. Use in experimental composition over polytonal or atonal passages. A tool for creating cognitive dissonance.
Notes: A#, C, D, D#, E, F#, G#
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: W-W-H-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Also known as: arabian
How to Play A# Locrian Major on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 6 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 1st fret on the A string.
The A# Locrian Major scale contains 4 sharps (A#, D#, F#, G#). Its relative major is D major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the A# Locrian Major 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 Locrian Major scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the A# Locrian Major 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# Locrian Major scale contains 7 notes (A#, C, D, D#, E, 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 Major
The A# Locrian Major 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 Major Further
- Harmonize the A# Locrian Major scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A# Locrian Major on Ukulele
- A# Locrian Major on Bass
- A# Locrian Major on Piano
Explore A# Locrian Major in Other Tunings
- A# Locrian Major in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Locrian Major in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- A# Locrian Major in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- A# Locrian Major in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- A# Locrian Major in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- A# Locrian Major in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- A# Locrian Major in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- A# Locrian Major in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- A# Locrian Major in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- A# Locrian Major in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- A# Locrian Major in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- A# Locrian Major in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- A# Locrian Major in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Locrian Major in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)