B Locrian mode on guitar

The Locrian mode, with its minor second and flat fifth, is the most unstable mode. It is mostly used over half-diminished chords, in jazz and metal.

On the whole neck

EADGBEEFGABCDEABCDEFGADEFGABCDGABCDEFGBCDEFGABEFGABCDE0123456789101112

Position from fret 6

EADGBEBCDEFGABCDEFFGABCD678910

Root notes are filled. The position groups the notes of the scale in one area of the neck, starting from the root on the 6th string.

Notes of the scale

DegreeNoteInterval
1Broot
2Cminor second
3Dminor third
4Eperfect fourth
5Fdiminished fifth
6Gminor sixth
7Aminor seventh

Steps between notes: H – W – W – H – W – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step)

This mode uses the same notes as the C major scale, starting from another degree.

Chords of the scale

Triads built on each degree:

  1. Bdimi°
  2. CII
  3. Dmiii
  4. Emiv
  5. FV
  6. GVI
  7. Amvii

Other B scales

The same scale in other keys