Locrian scale on guitar

The following are examples of the B Locrian scale at several positions on the guitar neck. The guitar in these examples uses standard tuning (the open guitar strings are E, A, D, G, B, E from lowest to highest).

The horizontal lines in each of the patterns below represent the guitar strings. The lowest guitar string is at the bottom. The vertical lines are the frets. The fret numbers are at the top of each pattern. The tonic of the scale (the first note) is in white. The dominant of the scale (the fifth note) is in gray. Note that the dominant of this scale (the F) is not a perfect fifth. The perfect fifth of the tonic B is F#. The fifth in the Locrian scale is a diminished fifth.

These patterns below can be transposed to other positions on the neck to produce other Locrian scales or can be used to produce modes of the Locrian scale (e.g., the natural minor (Aeolian) scale, the major scale (Ionian scale), etc.; see Heptatonic scale).

Example pattern for playing the Locrian scale on guitar (pattern one)

Example pattern for playing the Locrian scale on guitar (pattern two)

Example pattern for playing the Locrian scale on guitar (pattern three)

Example pattern for playing the Locrian scale on guitar (pattern four)

Example pattern for playing the Locrian scale on guitar (pattern five)

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