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Scale · 7 notes

F Locrian Scale

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

FC♭D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭

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

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FA♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭

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

Notes in the F Locrian scale

DegreeNoteName
1FTonic
♭2G♭Supertonic
♭3A♭Mediant
4B♭Subdominant
♭5C♭Dominant
♭6D♭Submediant
♭7E♭Subtonic

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

F 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 F Locrian scale

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

DegreeTriad7th chord
i°F°Fø7
IIG♭G♭maj7
iiiA♭mA♭m7
ivB♭mB♭m7
VC♭C♭maj7
VID♭D♭7
viiE♭mE♭m7

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

Related scales

  • Parent major scale: G♭ Major, which has exactly the same notes as F Locrian.

How to practise the F 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 F Locrian scale?

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

What is the formula for the F 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 F Locrian scale?

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

More F scales

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