Guitar scale · Locrian mode
G Locrian Scale
The most unstable mode. Contains a diminished 5th (♭5) for sinister metal riffs.
Tap any note to hear it.
G 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|-----------------------------3-4-6-| B|-------------------------4-6-------| G|-------------------3-5-6-----------| D|-------------3-5-6-----------------| A|-------3-4-6-----------------------| E|-3-4-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------6-8-9-| B|-----------------------6-8-9-------| G|-----------------5-6-8-------------| D|-----------5-6-8-------------------| A|-------6-8-------------------------| E|-6-8-9-----------------------------|
e|------------------------------------8-9-11-| B|-----------------------------8-9-11--------| G|------------------------8-10---------------| D|----------------8-10-11--------------------| A|--------8-10-11----------------------------| E|-8-9-11------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-| B|----------------------------------11-13-14-------| G|-------------------------10-12-13----------------| D|----------------10-11-13-------------------------| A|-------10-11-13----------------------------------| E|-11-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-16-| B|----------------------------------13-14-16----------| G|-------------------------12-13-15-------------------| D|-------------------13-15----------------------------| A|----------13-15-16----------------------------------| E|-13-15-16-------------------------------------------|
How to play G Locrian 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.
G Locrian uses exactly the same notes as Ab major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the Ab Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | G |
| ♭2 | Ab |
| ♭3 | Bb |
| 4 | C |
| ♭5 | Db |
| ♭6 | Eb |
| ♭7 | F |
Chords in G Locrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Locrian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Gdim | Gm7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | Ab | Abmaj7 | Supertonic |
| ♭iii | Bbm | Bbm7 | Mediant |
| iv | Cm | Cm7 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | Db | Dbmaj7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | Eb | Eb7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Fm | Fm7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise G 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 G Locrian Scale?
- The G Locrian Scale has 7 notes: G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F.
- What chords are in the G Locrian Scale?
- The chords of G Locrian are Gdim (i°), Ab (♭II), Bbm (♭iii), Cm (iv), Db (♭V), Eb (♭VI), Fm (♭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 G Locrian 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.