Guitar scale · Locrian mode
B Locrian Scale
The most unstable mode. Contains a diminished 5th (♭5) for sinister metal riffs.
Tap any note to hear it.
B Locrian 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|----------------------------------7-8-10-| B|-----------------------------8-10--------| G|----------------------7-9-10-------------| D|---------------7-9-10--------------------| A|--------7-8-10---------------------------| E|-7-8-10----------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|--------------------------------10-12-13----------| G|------------------------9-10-12-------------------| D|----------------9-10-12---------------------------| A|----------10-12-----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|----------------------------------12-13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-------------------| D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-| B|----------------------------------15-17-18-------| G|-------------------------14-16-17----------------| D|----------------14-15-17-------------------------| A|-------14-15-17----------------------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-19-20-| B|----------------------------------17-18-20----------| G|-------------------------16-17-19-------------------| D|-------------------17-19----------------------------| A|----------17-19-20----------------------------------| E|-17-19-20-------------------------------------------|
How to play B Locrian on guitar
Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B 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 7–11. 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.
B Locrian uses exactly the same notes as C major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the C Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | B |
| ♭2 | C |
| ♭3 | D |
| 4 | E |
| ♭5 | F |
| ♭6 | G |
| ♭7 | A |
Chords in B Locrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in B Locrian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | C | Cmaj7 | Supertonic |
| ♭iii | Dm | Dm7 | Mediant |
| iv | Em | Em7 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | F | Fmaj7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | G | G7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Am | Am7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise B Locrian 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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- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the B Locrian Scale?
- The B Locrian Scale has 7 notes: B, C, D, E, F, G, A.
- What chords are in the B Locrian Scale?
- The chords of B Locrian are Bdim (i°), C (♭II), Dm (♭iii), Em (iv), F (♭V), G (♭VI), Am (♭vii).
- What is the formula of the locrian scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W W H W W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play B Locrian on the guitar?
- The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.