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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.

B♯E♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯

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.

EADGBe135791215E♯F♯G♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F♯G♯A♯B♯D♯E♯F♯G♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯G♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F♯G♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F♯G♯A♯B♯C♯E♯F♯G♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F♯

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

Notes in the B♯ Locrian scale

DegreeNoteName
1B♯Tonic
♭2C♯Supertonic
♭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 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♯°B♯ø7
IIC♯C♯maj7
iiiD♯mD♯m7
ivE♯mE♯m7
VF♯F♯maj7
VIG♯G♯7
viiA♯mA♯m7

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♯, D♯m, E♯m, F♯, G♯, A♯m.

More B♯ scales

B♯ Altered

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.