Box 1
Position 1 (6th-string root)
Frets 5–8
When to use it: Root on the 6th string. Learn this one first — matching the root to a fret is all it takes to move the shape to any key.
Locrian Mode
A Locrian Mode
The unstable one — a ♭2 and a ♭5 mean it has no stable home chord.
- Notes
- A B♭ C D E♭ F G
- Formula
- 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7
- Sound
- unstable, uneasy
- Guitar positions
- 2
The patterns on guitar
2 fretboard positions in standard tuning, low string on the left. Every dot is a note of the scale and the number inside it is the scale degree, so you can see the shape and the theory at once.
root notescale notenumbers inside the dots are scale degrees
Box 2
Position 2 (5th-string root)
Open position
When to use it: It lands in open position for this key, so the open strings carry the low notes — easy to play, but the one shape you cannot slide to another key. Root on the 5th string. Use it when the tonic is easier to find on the A string, or when you want the scale to sit higher.
The notes
7 notes, built off A with the formula 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7. Locrian's tonic triad is diminished, so the scale cannot resolve to itself. In practice it turns up over m7♭5 chords rather than as a key of its own.
Tap any note to hear it on its own.
Chords built from this scale
Stack every other note of the scale and you get its seven diatonic chords. These are the chords that sound at home over this scale — a progression made only of these will never leave the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes | Seventh | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Adim | A C E♭ | Am7♭5 | tonic — everything resolves here |
| II | B♭ | B♭ D F | B♭maj7 | supertonic — a bright, borrowed pre-dominant |
| iii | Cm | C E♭ G | Cm7 | mediant — a soft substitute for the tonic |
| iv | Dm | D F A | Dm7 | subdominant — the wistful, minor version of the lift away |
| V | E♭ | E♭ G B♭ | E♭maj7 | dominant — wants to resolve home |
| VI | F | F A C | F7 | submediant — the relative major's home |
| vii | Gm | G B♭ D | Gm7 | subtonic — a whole step below home, no pull |
Common questions
What notes are in the A Locrian Mode?
The A Locrian mode has 7 notes: A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G. The interval formula is 1–♭2–♭3–4–♭5–♭6–♭7, counted up from A.
What chords are in the A Locrian Mode?
The A Locrian mode builds seven diatonic chords: i° Adim, II Bb, iii Cm, iv Dm, V Eb, VI F, vii Gm.
Where do I start on guitar?
Start with Position 1 (6th-string root) at fret 5. Root on the 6th string. Learn this one first — matching the root to a fret is all it takes to move the shape to any key.
Learn the theory behind it
The patterns above get your fingers moving. These explain what the notes are actually doing, so you can use the scale instead of just running it.