F Locrian Piano Scale
Piano scale diagram
F Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The F Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Piano, the notes are F, Gb, Ab, Bb, B, Db, Eb. It sounds highly dissonant and unresolved, as its home chord is a diminished triad. While rare as a primary key, it is a crucial technical tool for jazz musicians improvising over half-diminished chords in tension-heavy passages. The diatonic chords of F Locrian are Fm7b5, GbMaj7, Abm7, Bbm7, BMaj7, Db7, Ebm7. Commonly used in Jazz, Metal, Experimental, Avant-Garde. Notable players include John Coltrane, Meshuggah, Dream Theater. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz ii-V-i in minor keys where the ii chord is half-diminished.
Notes: F, Gb, Ab, Bb, B, Db, Eb
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: H-W-W-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Diatonic Chords
Fm7♭5 — G♭Maj7 — A♭m7 — B♭m7 — BMaj7 — D♭7 — E♭m7
How to Play F Locrian on Piano
On piano, the F Locrian scale uses 5 black keys. With several black keys involved, let the thumb naturally fall on white keys where possible. Practice hands separately at first, paying attention to smooth thumb-under transitions.
The F Locrian scale contains 5 flats (Gb, Ab, Bb, Db, Eb). Its relative major is Ab major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the F Locrian scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (F-Ab, Gb-Bb) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Try these progressions with the F Locrian scale: Fm7b5 - Bbm7 - BMaj7 - Fm7b5 (I-IV-V-I) or Fm7b5 - GbMaj7 - Bbm7 - BMaj7 for a more stepwise movement.
Piano Tips
On piano, practice the F Locrian scale hands together in contrary motion (one hand ascending, the other descending). This builds independence and strengthens your awareness of the scale's symmetry.
The F Locrian scale contains 7 notes (F, Gb, Ab, Bb, B, Db, Eb). Use the interactive piano diagram above to explore this scale on Piano.