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Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic

G Locrian bb7 Scale

Mode 7 of Harmonic Major: Locrian with a doubly flattened 7th (𝄫7).

Notes GAbBbCDbEbFb
Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 𝄫7
Steps H W W H W H W+H
Mood Unstable, Dark, Dissonant
Heard in Modal Improvisation

Interactive scale diagram

G Locrian bb7 Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

G Locrian bb7 Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 3–7
e|-----------------------------3-4-6-|
B|-------------------------4-5-------|
G|-------------------3-5-6-----------|
D|---------------5-6-----------------|
A|-------3-4-6-7---------------------|
E|-3-4-6-----------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 5–9
e|-----------------------------6-8-9-|
B|-------------------------8-9-------|
G|-----------------5-6-8-9-----------|
D|-----------5-6-8-------------------|
A|-------6-7-------------------------|
E|-6-8-9-----------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 7–11
e|-----------------------------------8-9-11-|
B|----------------------------8-9-11--------|
G|------------------------8-9---------------|
D|----------------8-10-11-------------------|
A|--------7-10-11---------------------------|
E|-8-9-11-----------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 10–14
e|-------------------------------------------11-12-|
B|----------------------------------11-13-14-------|
G|----------------------------12-13----------------|
D|----------------10-11-13-14----------------------|
A|-------10-11-13----------------------------------|
E|-11-12-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 12–16
e|-------------------------------------------12-15-16-|
B|----------------------------------13-14-16----------|
G|-------------------------12-13-15-------------------|
D|-------------------13-14----------------------------|
A|----------13-15-16----------------------------------|
E|-12-15-16-------------------------------------------|

How to play G Locrian bb7 on guitar

Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G 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 3–7. 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

DegreeNote
1 G
♭2 Ab
♭3 Bb
4 C
♭5 Db
♭6 Eb
𝄫7 Fb

Chords in G Locrian bb7

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Locrian bb7; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
i° Gdim Gdim7 Tonic
♭II Ab Abmaj7 Supertonic
♭iii° Bbdim Bbm7b5 Mediant
iv Cm Cm7 Subdominant
♭v Dbm Dbm(maj7) Dominant
♭VI Eb Eb7 Submediant
VII+ Fbaug Fbmaj7#5 Leading tone / subtonic

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Questions

What notes are in the G Locrian bb7 Scale?
The G Locrian bb7 Scale has 7 notes: G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, Fb.
What chords are in the G Locrian bb7 Scale?
The chords of G Locrian bb7 are Gdim (i°), Ab (♭II), Bbdim (♭iii°), Cm (iv), Dbm (♭v), Eb (♭VI), Fbaug (VII+).
What is the formula of the locrian bb7 scale?
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 𝄫7, which is the step pattern H W W H W H W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play G Locrian bb7 on the guitar?
The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Locrian bb7 Scale in every key

More scales in G