Guitar scale · altered diminished
A Ultralocrian Scale
Mode 7 of Harmonic Minor: Locrian with a doubly flattened 7th (𝄫7). Every note except the root is lowered, and it holds every tone of a diminished 7th chord.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Ultralocrian Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------5-6-8-9-| B|-------------------------6-7---------| G|-------------------5-6-8-------------| D|---------------7-8-------------------| A|---------6-8-9-----------------------| E|-5-6-8-9-----------------------------|
e|------------------------------------8-9-11-| B|------------------------------10-11--------| G|----------------------8-10-11--------------| D|------------7-8-10-11----------------------| A|--------8-9--------------------------------| E|-8-9-11------------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|--------------------------------10-11-13---------| G|--------------------------10-11------------------| D|-----------------10-11-13------------------------| A|---------9-12-13---------------------------------| E|-9-11-13-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-| B|----------------------------------13-14-16-------| G|----------------------------14-15----------------| D|-------------------13-15-16----------------------| A|-------12-13-15-16-------------------------------| E|-13-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-17-18-| B|-------------------------------------16-18----------| G|-------------------------14-15-17-18----------------| D|-------------------15-16----------------------------| A|----------15-16-18----------------------------------| E|-14-17-18-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Ultralocrian on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, ♭5, 𝄫7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| ♭2 | Bb |
| ♭3 | C |
| ♭4 | Db |
| ♭5 | Eb |
| ♭6 | F |
| 𝄫7 | Gb |
Chords in A Ultralocrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Ultralocrian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Adim | Adim7 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Bbm | Bbm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♭iii° | Cdim | Cm7b5 | Mediant |
| ♭IV+ | Dbaug | Dbmaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭v | Ebm | Ebm7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | F | F7 | Submediant |
| VII | Gb | Gbmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Ultralocrian anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
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- A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
- Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Ultralocrian Scale?
- The A Ultralocrian Scale has 7 notes: A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb.
- What chords are in the A Ultralocrian Scale?
- The chords of A Ultralocrian are Adim (i°), Bbm (♭ii), Cdim (♭iii°), Dbaug (♭IV+), Ebm (♭v), F (♭VI), Gb (VII).
- What is the formula of the ultralocrian scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 𝄫7, which is the step pattern H W H W W H W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Ultralocrian on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.