E Bebop Locrian Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagram
E Bebop Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The E Bebop Locrian scale is a modern bebop variation designed for half-diminished chords. On Ukulele, 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
How to Play E Bebop Locrian on Ukulele
On ukulele, find E on the fret 4 area, and work through the scale within a four-fret span. You may need to shift positions once to cover all 8 notes. Practice each position separately before linking them together.
The E Bebop Locrian scale contains 1 flat (Bb). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the E Bebop Locrian scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (E-G, F-A) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on E to let the characteristic intervals of the Bebop Locrian scale come through clearly.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the E Bebop Locrian 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.
The E Bebop Locrian scale contains 8 notes (E, F, G, A, Bb, B, C, D). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for E Bebop Locrian
The E Bebop 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 8-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.
Explore E Bebop Locrian Further
- Harmonize the E Bebop Locrian scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- E Bebop Locrian on Guitar
- E Bebop Locrian on Bass
- E Bebop Locrian on Piano