A Locrian Timple Canario Scale
Timple Canario scale — fretboard diagram
A Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Timple Canario, the notes are A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G. 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 A Locrian are Am7b5, BbMaj7, Cm7, Dm7, EbMaj7, F7, Gm7. 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: A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G
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
Am7♭5 — B♭Maj7 — Cm7 — Dm7 — E♭Maj7 — F7 — Gm7
How to Play A Locrian on Timple Canario
Begin by locating A on your instrument and play through the 7 notes of the Locrian scale slowly, ensuring each note rings clearly before increasing speed.
The A Locrian scale contains 2 flats (Bb, Eb). Its relative major is C major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the A Locrian scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (A-C, Bb-D) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Try these progressions with the A Locrian scale: Am7b5 - Dm7 - EbMaj7 - Am7b5 (I-IV-V-I) or Am7b5 - BbMaj7 - Dm7 - EbMaj7 for a more stepwise movement.
Timple Canario Tips
Practice the A Locrian scale slowly and evenly on your instrument, focusing on tone quality for each of the 7 notes before building speed.
The A Locrian scale contains 7 notes (A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Timple Canario with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Locrian
The A Locrian scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.