G# Super Locrian Pentatonic Guitar Scale

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What chords fit over G# Super Locrian Pentatonic?

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G# Super Locrian Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals

The G# Super Locrian Pentatonic scale is an aggressive and highly dissonant subset of the altered scale. On Guitar, it contains the notes G#, B, C, D, F#. It is a primary tool for advanced jazz guitarists and horn players to create outside tension over altered dominant chords before resolving back to the tonic. Commonly used in Jazz, Avant-Garde, Fusion. Notable players include John Coltrane, Michael Brecker. Use over 7alt, 7#9b13 chords. The pentatonic shortcut for maximum 'outside' tension over altered dominants.

Notes: G#, B, C, D, F#

Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4d, 5d, 7m

Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5

Formula: WH-H-W-4-W

Number of notes: 5

Musical Character

AggressiveDissonantOutsideTense

The most dissonant pentatonic — a 5-note distillation of the Altered scale. Every note creates tension against a dominant chord.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Jazz, Avant-Garde, Fusion

Notable players: John Coltrane, Michael Brecker

How to Use the G# Super Locrian Pentatonic Scale

Use over 7alt, 7#9b13 chords. The pentatonic shortcut for maximum 'outside' tension over altered dominants.

Origin & Background

Advanced jazz pentatonic extracted from the Super Locrian / Altered scale for efficient improvisation.

How to Play G# Super Locrian Pentatonic on Guitar

Place your index finger at fret 4 on the 6th (low E) to find your G# root note. With only 5 notes, this scale fits comfortably in a two-notes-per-string pattern across all six strings. Focus on learning a single box shape first before connecting positions.

The G# Super Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 2 sharps (G#, F#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.

Practice Routine

Practice the G# Super Locrian Pentatonic scale by playing it ascending with one rhythmic feel (straight eighth notes) and descending with another (swing or triplets) at 100 BPM. This dual approach trains both technical accuracy and rhythmic versatility with the 5 notes of the scale.

This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in G#. Try a G#5 - D5 - F#5 progression. This scale is especially effective in fusion contexts.

Guitar Tips

On guitar, try playing the G# Super Locrian Pentatonic scale using legato technique (hammer-ons and pull-offs) to develop a smooth, connected sound. This is particularly effective for pentatonic scale runs. Aim for a aggressive quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

Super Locrian Pentatonic is the Altered scale pentatonic subset. View G# Altered scale

The G# Super Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (G#, B, C, D, F#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for G# Super Locrian Pentatonic

The G# Super Locrian Pentatonic 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 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.

Explore G# Super Locrian Pentatonic Further

Explore G# Super Locrian Pentatonic in Other Tunings

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