A Locrian mode
A Locrian mode is A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G, with B♭ and E♭. Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. Play it, then slow the tempo until every note is clear.
The notes, one step at a time
The step pattern is H W W H W W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between A–B♭ and D–E♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval from A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | |
| ♭2 | B♭ | minor second | |
| ♭3 | C | minor third | |
| 4 | D | perfect fourth | |
| ♭5 | E♭ | tritone | |
| ♭6 | F | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | G | minor seventh |
The sound of A Locrian mode
A Locrian is the mode whose tonic triad (Adim) has no perfect fifth. You'll meet it over Am7♭5 chords in jazz rather than as the key of a song.
Its home chord is Adim, diminished, so Locrian rarely works as a key; it's used over Am7♭5, where every note fits.
Compared with A natural minor scale, A Locrian mode has B♭ and E♭ where the other has B and E; the other five notes are shared. Hear A natural minor scale and compare.
A Locrian mode uses the same seven notes as B♭ major, starting from A instead of B♭. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Locrian is playing it over a A bass or chord.
Where your hands go
Keyboard players: two black (B♭ and E♭), five white.
The guitar box starts with the root at the 5th fret of the low E string and spans frets 3–9: 18 notes, low string to high.
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords that fit A Locrian mode; the ones that differ from the B♭ major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
If you know A Locrian mode, you already know the notes of C Dorian (starting on the 3rd note, C), D Phrygian (starting on the 4th note, D), E♭ Lydian (starting on the 5th note, E♭), F Mixolydian (starting on the 6th note, F), G natural minor (starting on the 7th note, G) and B♭ major (starting on the 2nd note, B♭).
A Locrian mode across the fretboard
Find A first: fret 5 of the 6th string, fret 0 and 12 of the 5th (0 means open). Most guitarists learn it in five overlapping positions; on the low E string they begin around frets 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12. Mostly used over a half-diminished chord rather than as a home key, because its tonic chord is unstable.
On the piano, A Locrian mode uses 2 black keys (B♭ and E♭) and 5 white.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's A–C, B♭–D, C–E♭, D–F, E♭–G, F–A, G–B♭.
Practice patterns for A Locrian mode
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Three-note runs: A B♭ C · B♭ C D · C D E♭ · D E♭ F · E♭ F G · F G A.
- Land on E♭: A E♭ A E♭ A: the ♭5 makes even the home chord unstable.
Close relatives of A Locrian mode
Locrian mode in every key
A Locrian mode: questions
What are the notes of the A Locrian mode?
A, B♭, C, D, E♭, F and G, then A again at the octave. Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the A Locrian mode?
Two: B♭ and E♭.
What chords are in the A Locrian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Adim (i°), B♭ (II), Cm (iii), Dm (iv), E♭ (V), F (VI) and Gm (vii).
What's the difference between A Locrian mode and A natural minor scale?
B♭ and E♭ in A Locrian; B and E in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as A Locrian mode?
B♭ major. A Locrian is B♭ major played from its 7th note, A.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 and tested. Updated September 2026.