F 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 F Locrian scale has 7 notes: F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭. 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 F major scale it has ♭2 (G♭ instead of G), ♭3 (A♭ instead of A), ♭5 (C♭ instead of C), ♭6 (D♭ instead of D), ♭7 (E♭ instead of E).

The explorer above is set to F 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.

F Locrian scale notes

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

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

F Locrian scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, F Locrian has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on F on the low E string at fret 1; 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 1–6	2 4 6	2 4 6	1 3 4	1 3 4	1 2 4	1 2 4
Position 2 frets 2–7	4 6 7	4 6 7	3 4 6	3 4 6	2 4 6	2 4 6
Position 3 frets 4–9	6 7 9	6 7 9	4 6 8	4 6 8	4 6 8	4 6 7
Position 4 frets 6–11	7 9 11	7 9 11	6 8 10	6 8 9	6 8 9	6 7 9
Position 5 frets 7–13	9 11 13	9 11 12	8 10 11	8 9 11	8 9 11	7 9 11
Position 6 frets 9–14	11 13 14	11 12 14	10 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 13
Position 7 frets 11–16	13 14 16	12 14 16	11 13 15	11 13 15	11 13 14	11 13 14

Chords in the F Locrian scale

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

	i°	♭II	♭iii	iv	♭V	♭VI	♭vii
Triad	Fdim	G♭	A♭m	B♭m	C♭	D♭	E♭m
7th chord	Fm7♭5	G♭maj7	A♭m7	B♭m7	C♭maj7	D♭7	E♭m7

Where you hear it

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

Backing tracks to practise F Locrian

F minor blues F minor rock F minor funk

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 1–6) 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 F (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on F.