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Scale · 7 notes

B Locrian Scale

B Locrian is a 7-note scale with the notes B C D E F G A. It sounds unstable and dissonant, built on a diminished fifth.

CDEFGAB

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

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215EFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFG

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

Notes in the B Locrian scale

DegreeNoteName
1BTonic
♭2CSupertonic
♭3DMediant
4ESubdominant
♭5FDominant
♭6GSubmediant
♭7ASubtonic

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 scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is H – W – 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 scale

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

DegreeTriad7th chord
i°B°Bø7
IICCmaj7
iiiDmDm7
ivEmEm7
VFFmaj7
VIGG7
viiAmAm7

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

Related scales

  • Parent major scale: C Major, which has exactly the same notes as B Locrian.

How to practise the B Locrian scale

Learn each mode by its characteristic note: the one that makes it different from the major or minor scale it most resembles. Play a drone on the tonic while you play the scale to hear its colour.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the B Locrian scale?

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

What is the formula for the B Locrian scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is H – W – 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 scale?

Built from the scale in triads: B°, C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am.

More B scales

B Major, B Natural Minor, B Harmonic Minor, B Melodic Minor, B Dorian, B Phrygian, B Lydian, B Mixolydian, B Major Pentatonic, B Minor Pentatonic, B Blues, B Lydian Dominant, B Altered, B Dorian ♭2, B Mixolydian ♭6, B Locrian ♯2, 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.