E♭ / D♯ Locrian Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The E♭ Locrian scale has 7 notes: E♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B𝄫 – C♭ – D♭. Locrian is the darkest mode: a minor scale with a ♭2 and a ♭5, built on the 7th note of the major scale. Its root chord is diminished, so it is used for tension rather than as a home key.

E♭ and D♯ are the same pitch, so this page covers both names; the notes are spelled from E♭, the way the key is usually written (a double sharp or flat is the correct spelling for that degree). Compared with the E♭ major scale it has ♭2 (F♭ instead of F), ♭3 (G♭ instead of G), ♭5 (B𝄫 instead of B♭), ♭6 (C♭ instead of C), ♭7 (D♭ instead of D).

The explorer above is set to E♭ Locrian: the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 7 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

E♭ Locrian scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from E♭	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	E♭	R	0	S
♭2	F♭	m2	1	r
♭3	G♭	m3	3	g
4	A♭	P4	5	M
♭5	B𝄫	d5	6	M'
♭6	C♭	m6	8	d
♭7	D♭	m7	10	n

Steps between the notes: H W W H W W W (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any E♭ and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

E♭ Locrian scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, E♭ Locrian has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on E♭ on the low E string at fret 11; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Position 1 frets 11–16	12 14 16	12 14 16	11 13 14	11 13 14	11 12 14	11 12 14
Position 2 frets 12–17	14 16 17	14 16 17	13 14 16	13 14 16	12 14 16	12 14 16
Position 3 frets 14–19	16 17 19	16 17 19	14 16 18	14 16 18	14 16 18	14 16 17
Position 4 frets 16–21	17 19 21	17 19 21	16 18 20	16 18 19	16 18 19	16 17 19
Position 5 frets 5–11	7 9 11	7 9 10	6 8 9	6 7 9	6 7 9	5 7 9
Position 6 frets 7–12	9 11 12	9 10 12	8 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 11
Position 7 frets 9–14	11 12 14	10 12 14	9 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 12	9 11 12

Chords in the E♭ Locrian scale

Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives these chords. They are the chords a song in E♭ Locrian is made from, and the chords this scale fits over.

	i°	♭II	♭iii	iv	♭V	♭VI	♭vii
Triad	E♭dim	F♭	G♭m	A♭m	B𝄫	C♭	D♭m
7th chord	E♭m7♭5	F♭maj7	G♭m7	A♭m7	B𝄫maj7	C♭7	D♭m7

Where you hear it

E♭ Locrian is used in jazz (over m7♭5 chords) and metal. It sounds best over half-diminished (m7♭5) chords.

Backing tracks to practise E♭ Locrian

E♭ minor blues E♭ minor rock E♭ minor funk

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 11–16) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every E♭ (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on E♭.