Guitar scale · Locrian mode
F# Locrian Scale
The most unstable mode. Contains a diminished 5th (♭5) for sinister metal riffs.
Tap any note to hear it.
F# 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|-----------------------------2-3-5-| B|-------------------------3-5-------| G|-------------------2-4-5-----------| D|-------------2-4-5-----------------| A|-------2-3-5-----------------------| E|-2-3-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-7-8-| B|-----------------------5-7-8-------| G|-----------------4-5-7-------------| D|-----------4-5-7-------------------| A|-------5-7-------------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|---------------------------------7-8-10-| B|--------------------------7-8-10--------| G|----------------------7-9---------------| D|---------------7-9-10-------------------| A|--------7-9-10--------------------------| E|-7-8-10---------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------10-12-| B|-------------------------------10-12-13-------| G|-----------------------9-11-12----------------| D|---------------9-10-12------------------------| A|-------9-10-12--------------------------------| E|-10-12----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-15-| B|----------------------------------12-13-15----------| G|-------------------------11-12-14-------------------| D|-------------------12-14----------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play F# Locrian on guitar
Find the root first: F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F# 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 2–6. 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.
F# Locrian uses exactly the same notes as G major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the G Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F# |
| ♭2 | G |
| ♭3 | A |
| 4 | B |
| ♭5 | C |
| ♭6 | D |
| ♭7 | E |
Chords in F# Locrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F# Locrian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | F#dim | F#m7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | G | Gmaj7 | Supertonic |
| ♭iii | Am | Am7 | Mediant |
| iv | Bm | Bm7 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | C | Cmaj7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | D | D7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Em | Em7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise F# 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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Questions
- What notes are in the F# Locrian Scale?
- The F# Locrian Scale has 7 notes: F#, G, A, B, C, D, E.
- What chords are in the F# Locrian Scale?
- The chords of F# Locrian are F#dim (i°), G (♭II), Am (♭iii), Bm (iv), C (♭V), D (♭VI), Em (♭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 F# Locrian on the guitar?
- The root F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 2–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.