B Locrian Cavaquinho Scale
Cavaquinho scale in Standard tuning — fretboard diagram
B Locrian in Standard — Notes and Intervals
The B Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Cavaquinho, the notes are B, C, D, E, F, G, A. 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 B Locrian are Bm7b5, CMaj7, Dm7, Em7, FMaj7, G7, Am7. 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: B, C, D, E, F, G, A
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
Tuning: Standard (D-B-G-D)
Diatonic Chords
Bm7♭5 — CMaj7 — Dm7 — Em7 — FMaj7 — G7 — Am7