E Locrian mode
E Locrian mode is E – F – G – A – B♭ – C – D, with B♭. Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. Press play and follow the keys.
The notes, one step at a time
Counted in steps it goes H W W H W W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between E–F and A–B♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval from E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | root | |
| ♭2 | F | minor second | |
| ♭3 | G | minor third | |
| 4 | A | perfect fourth | |
| ♭5 | B♭ | tritone | |
| ♭6 | C | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | D | minor seventh |
The sound of E Locrian mode
E Locrian is the mode whose tonic triad (Edim) has no perfect fifth. You'll meet it over Em7♭5 chords in jazz rather than as the key of a song.
Its home chord is Edim, diminished, so Locrian rarely works as a key; it's used over Em7♭5, where every note fits.
Compared with E natural minor scale, E Locrian mode has F and B♭ where the other has F♯ and B; the other five notes are shared. Hear E natural minor scale and compare.
E Locrian mode uses the same seven notes as F major, starting from E instead of F. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Locrian is playing it over a E bass or chord.
Where your hands go
B♭ is on black key; the rest are white.
17 notes fit in the box between frets 0 and 5, with E open on the low E string.
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 E Locrian mode; the ones that differ from the F major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C Mixolydian (starting on the 6th note, C), D natural minor (starting on the 7th note, D), F major (starting on the 2nd note, F), G Dorian (starting on the 3rd note, G), A Phrygian (starting on the 4th note, A) and B♭ Lydian (starting on the 5th note, B♭). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
E Locrian mode across the fretboard
Anchor points for E: low E string fret 0 and 12, A string fret 7 (0 = open string). Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 2, 5, 7, 9 and 12 on the low E string. Mostly used over a half-diminished chord rather than as a home key, because its tonic chord is unstable.
On the piano, E Locrian mode uses 1 black key (B♭) and 6 white.
Try it in thirds to stop it sounding like an exercise: E–G, F–A, G–B♭, A–C, B♭–D, C–E, D–F, then back down.
Drills for E Locrian
Once E Locrian is comfortable up and down, break the order. Each pattern below uses only its 7 notes.
- Three-note runs: E F G · F G A · G A B♭ · A B♭ C · B♭ C D · C D E.
- Land on B♭: E B♭ E B♭ E: the ♭5 makes even the home chord unstable.
Scales to compare with E Locrian
Locrian mode in every key
E Locrian mode: questions
What are the notes of the E Locrian mode?
7 notes: E, F, G, A, B♭, C and D.
How many sharps or flats are in the E Locrian mode?
One: B♭.
What chords are in the E Locrian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Edim (i°), F (II), Gm (iii), Am (iv), B♭ (V), C (VI) and Dm (vii).
What's the difference between E Locrian mode and E natural minor scale?
F and B♭ in E Locrian; F♯ and B in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as E Locrian mode?
F major. E Locrian is F major played from its 7th note, E.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.