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Scale · 7 notes

B♭ Locrian ♯2 Scale

B♭ Locrian ♯2 is a 7-note scale with the notes B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭. It sounds the sixth mode of melodic minor: Locrian with a natural 2nd, the smoothest scale for half-diminished chords.

CF♭D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭

Purple = B♭ (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every B♭ locrian ♯2 note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CE♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭

Blue = B♭ (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the B♭ Locrian ♯2 scale

DegreeNoteName
1B♭Tonic
2CSupertonic
♭3D♭Mediant
4E♭Subdominant
♭5F♭Dominant
♭6G♭Submediant
♭7A♭Subtonic

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭.

B♭ Locrian ♯2 scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W – H – W – H – W – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.

Chords in the B♭ Locrian ♯2 scale

Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives these chords:

DegreeTriad7th chord
i°B♭°B♭ø7
ii°C°Cø7
iiiD♭mD♭m(maj7)
ivE♭mE♭m7
V+F♭+F♭7♯5
VIG♭G♭7
VIIA♭A♭7

Chord names link to guitar chord shapes where we have them.

How to practise the B♭ Locrian ♯2 scale

Learn it as a rotation of a scale you already know (lydian dominant is melodic minor starting on its 4th note, altered starts on its 7th) and play it over the matching chord with a drone on the root.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the B♭ Locrian ♯2 scale?

The notes of the B♭ Locrian ♯2 scale are B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭.

What is the formula for the B♭ Locrian ♯2 scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is W – H – W – H – W – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.

What chords are in the B♭ Locrian ♯2 scale?

Built from the scale in triads: B♭°, C°, D♭m, E♭m, F♭+, G♭, A♭.

More B♭ scales

B♭ Major, B♭ Natural Minor, B♭ Harmonic Minor, B♭ Melodic Minor, B♭ Dorian, B♭ Phrygian, B♭ Lydian, B♭ Mixolydian, B♭ Locrian, B♭ Major Pentatonic, B♭ Minor Pentatonic, B♭ Blues, B♭ Lydian Dominant, B♭ Whole Tone, B♭ Dorian ♭2, B♭ Lydian Augmented, B♭ Mixolydian ♭6, B♭ Phrygian Dominant, B♭ Hungarian Minor, B♭ Double Harmonic, B♭ Diminished (W–H), B♭ Diminished (H–W), B♭ Bebop Dominant, B♭ Bebop Major

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.