E Bebop Locrian Guitar Scale — 8-string

Guitar scale in 8-string tuning — fretboard diagram

E Bebop Locrian in 8-string — Notes and Intervals

The E Bebop Locrian scale is a modern bebop variation designed for half-diminished chords. On Guitar, the notes are E, F, G, A, Bb, B, C, D. It provides a chromatic bridge that helps musicians maintain rhythmic momentum while soloing over highly dissonant and difficult chord changes. Commonly used in Modern Jazz, Post-Bop, Fusion. Notable players include John Coltrane, Woody Shaw, Steve Coleman. Use over m7b5 chords. Maintains bebop rhythmic alignment in the most dissonant harmonic context.

Notes: E, F, G, A, Bb, B, C, D

Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 5P, 6m, 7m

Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7 b8

Formula: H-W-W-H-H-H-W-W

Number of notes: 8

Tuning: 8-string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)

About 8-string Tuning

The 8-string guitar adds both a low B and a low F# string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E), pushing the instrument's range almost into bass guitar territory. This massive tonal range has become the weapon of choice for djent, progressive metal, and experimental composers who need bone-crushing low-end and soaring highs in a single instrument.

With artists like Tosin Abasi, Meshuggah, and After the Burial leading the charge, the 8-string guitar has redefined what's possible in modern heavy music. The low F# string delivers subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest, while the upper strings maintain standard guitar voicings for leads and clean passages. Extended-range compositions often exploit the full span of the instrument, creating a wall of sound that covers bass, rhythm, and lead guitar roles simultaneously.

DjentProgressive MetalTechnical Death MetalExperimentalAmbient

Notable artists: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, After the Burial, Intervals, Monuments

Best for: Djent polyrhythms, extended-range metal riffs, experimental compositions, and one-instrument arrangements spanning bass to lead

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in 8-string tuning