B Super Locrian Pentatonic Piano Scale
Piano scale diagramAdvanced
B Super Locrian Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale is an aggressive and highly dissonant subset of the altered scale. On Piano, it contains the notes B, D, Eb, F, A. 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: B, D, Eb, F, A
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4d, 5d, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5
Formula: WH-H-W-4-W
Number of notes: 5
Musical Character
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 B 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 B Super Locrian Pentatonic on Piano
On piano, the B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale uses 1 black key. Start with your thumb on B and use the black keys as landmarks for consistent finger placement. Standard major or minor fingering patterns apply.
The B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 1 flat (Eb). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale ascending and descending at 100 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (B-Eb, D-F) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in B. Try a B5 - F5 - A5 progression. This scale is especially effective in jazz contexts.
Piano Tips
On piano, practice the B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale hands together in contrary motion (one hand ascending, the other descending). This builds independence and strengthens your awareness of the scale's symmetry. 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 B Altered scale
The B Super Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (B, D, Eb, F, A). Use the interactive piano diagram above to explore this scale on Piano.