F Locrian Major Guitar Scale — Drop B
Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram
F Locrian Major in Drop B — Notes and Intervals
The F Locrian Major scale is a 20th-century hybrid that combines the stability of a major third with the dissonance of a Locrian base. On Guitar, it contains the notes F, G, A, Bb, B, Db, Eb. It was used by experimental composers to create a sound that is both familiar and alien. Commonly used in Experimental, Contemporary Classical, Avant-Garde. Notable players include Bela Bartok, Gyorgy Ligeti. Use in experimental composition over polytonal or atonal passages. A tool for creating cognitive dissonance.
Notes: F, G, A, Bb, B, Db, Eb
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: W-W-H-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)
Also known as: arabian
About Drop B Tuning
Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.
Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.
Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure
Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- F Locrian Major in Standard Tuning
- F Locrian Major in Drop D
- F Locrian Major in DADGAD
- F Locrian Major in Open G
- F Locrian Major in Baritone (B Standard)
- F Locrian Major in 7-string
- F Locrian Major in 8-string
- F Locrian Major in Drop C
- F Locrian Major in Open D
- F Locrian Major in Half Step Down
- F Locrian Major in Open E
- F Locrian Major in Open A
- F Locrian Major in Double Drop D
- F Locrian Major in Open C