A# Ultralocrian Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
A# Ultralocrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A# Ultralocrian scale is an extremely dark and condensed scale used to create intense chromatic tension. On Guitar, its notes are A#, B, C#, D, E, F#, G. It is used in avant-garde jazz and dark ambient music to explore the most dissonant boundaries of minor-key tonality. Commonly used in Avant-Garde, Dark Ambient, Experimental Jazz. Notable players include John Zorn, Derek Bailey. Use over dim7 chords in avant-garde contexts. More of a compositional tool than an improvisational one.
Notes: A#, B, C#, D, E, F#, G
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4d, 5d, 6m, 7d
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 7
Formula: H-W-H-W-W-H-WH
Number of notes: 7
Also known as: superlocrian bb7, superlocrian diminished
How to Play A# Ultralocrian 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# Ultralocrian scale contains 3 sharps (A#, C#, F#). Its relative major is C# major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the A# Ultralocrian scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (A#-C#, B-D) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on A# to let the characteristic intervals of the Ultralocrian scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
Use hybrid picking (pick + fingers) when playing the A# Ultralocrian scale on guitar to access wider intervals and string skips that a pick alone cannot handle efficiently.
The A# Ultralocrian scale contains 7 notes (A#, B, C#, 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# Ultralocrian
The A# Ultralocrian 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# Ultralocrian Further
- Harmonize the A# Ultralocrian scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A# Ultralocrian on Ukulele
- A# Ultralocrian on Bass
- A# Ultralocrian on Piano
Explore A# Ultralocrian in Other Tunings
- A# Ultralocrian in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Ultralocrian in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- A# Ultralocrian in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- A# Ultralocrian in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- A# Ultralocrian in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- A# Ultralocrian in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- A# Ultralocrian in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- A# Ultralocrian in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- A# Ultralocrian in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- A# Ultralocrian in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- A# Ultralocrian in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- A# Ultralocrian in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- A# Ultralocrian in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- A# Ultralocrian in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)