B Locrian Pentatonic Ukulele Scale

Ukulele scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced

What chords fit over B Locrian Pentatonic?

B Locrian Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals

The B Locrian Pentatonic scale is an unstable and mysterious scale used to evoke tension and ambiguity. On Ukulele, its notes are B, D, E, F, A. It is often found in experimental music and certain Indian Ragas, providing a dissonant, outside sound that is perfect for dark, avant-garde, or high-tension compositions. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Experimental, Progressive. Notable players include John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz solos over ii chords in minor ii-V-i progressions.

Notes: B, D, E, F, A

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

Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5

Formula: WH-W-H-4-W

Number of notes: 5

Also known as: minor seven flat five pentatonic

Musical Character

DarkDissonantTenseMysterious

The darkest pentatonic — contains the b5 that defines the Locrian sound. Excellent for outlining m7b5 chords in jazz with minimal notes.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Jazz, Fusion, Experimental, Progressive

Notable players: John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel

How to Use the B Locrian Pentatonic Scale

Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz solos over ii chords in minor ii-V-i progressions.

Origin & Background

Jazz-derived pentatonic for navigating half-diminished chord changes with clarity.

How to Play B Locrian Pentatonic on Ukulele

On ukulele, find B on the fret 2 area, and work through the scale within a four-fret span. With 5 notes, this scale fits neatly on the ukulele's short fretboard without requiring large stretches.

The B Locrian Pentatonic scale uses no sharps or flats, consisting entirely of natural notes. This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.

Practice Routine

Practice the B Locrian Pentatonic scale by playing it ascending with one rhythmic feel (straight eighth notes) and descending with another (swing or triplets) at 100 BPM. This dual approach trains both technical accuracy and rhythmic versatility with the 5 notes of the scale.

This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in B. Try a B5 - F5 - A5 progression. This scale is especially effective in experimental contexts.

Ukulele Tips

The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the B Locrian Pentatonic scale easy to visualize in a single position. Use this to your advantage by memorizing the scale shape relative to chord shapes you already know. Aim for a dark quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

Locrian Pentatonic is the Five-note Locrian subset. View B Locrian scale

The B Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (B, D, E, F, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for B Locrian Pentatonic

The B Locrian Pentatonic 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 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.

Explore B Locrian Pentatonic Further

Explore B Locrian Pentatonic in Other Tunings

B Locrian Pentatonic in Baritone (E-B-G-D)

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