E 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.

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 0; 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 0–5	1 3 5	1 3 5	0 2 3	0 2 3	0 1 3	0 1 3
Position 2 frets 1–6	3 5 6	3 5 6	2 3 5	2 3 5	1 3 5	1 3 5
Position 3 frets 3–8	5 6 8	5 6 8	3 5 7	3 5 7	3 5 7	3 5 6
Position 4 frets 5–10	6 8 10	6 8 10	5 7 9	5 7 8	5 7 8	5 6 8
Position 5 frets 6–12	8 10 12	8 10 11	7 9 10	7 8 10	7 8 10	6 8 10
Position 6 frets 8–13	10 12 13	10 11 13	9 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12
Position 7 frets 10–15	12 13 15	11 13 15	10 12 14	10 12 14	10 12 13	10 12 13

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	Edim	F	Gm	Am	B♭	C	Dm
7th chord	Em7♭5	Fmaj7	Gm7	Am7	B♭maj7	C7	Dm7

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 Em metal Em Bollywood

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 0–5) 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.