Chord Colors

A Locrian #2 scale

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About the A Locrian #2 scale

A Locrian #2 is used for jazz soloing over half-diminished chords. Think of it as a locrian scale rescued a little by a natural second. It is A Natural Minor with the fifth lowered.

Its notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The formula is W H W H W W W. It is the sixth mode of C Melodic Minor Ascending.

Also called Half-Diminished and Aeolian 5.

Learn more about the A Locrian #2 scale

The scale shares A, D, G, and B with the guitar's open strings. A guitarist finds the lowest A on the open A string. The mode runs a complete octave from root to root inside the first three frets.

Positions

Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.

CAGED

Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.

A shapeopen
G shapefr 2
E shapefr 4
D shapefr 6
C shapefr 9
3NPS

3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.

Shape 1fr 1
Shape 2fr 3
Shape 3fr 5
Shape 4fr 6
Shape 5fr 8
Shape 6fr 10
Shape 7fr 11
7-position system

7 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.

Position 1fr 1
Position 2fr 3
Position 3fr 5
Position 4fr 7
Position 5fr 8
Position 6fr 10
Position 7fr 11

Chords in the key of A Locrian #2

Expand a chord to see how to play it.

A diminished
Position 1 of 4
ii° B diminished
Position 1 of 4
iii C minor
Position 1 of 4
iv D minor
Position 1 of 4
V+ E flat augmented
Position 1 of 4
3fr
VI F
Position 1 of 4
VII G
Position 1 of 5

Seventh chords in A Locrian #2

The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.

A minor seven flat five
Position 1 of 4
ii° B minor seven flat five
Position 1 of 4
iii C minor major seven
Position 1 of 4
iv D minor seven
Position 1 of 4
V+ E flat major seven sharp five
Position 1 of 4
3fr
VI F seven
Position 1 of 4
VII G seven
Position 1 of 4

Notes and intervals

1AARoot
2BBMajor 2nd
3CCMinor 3rd
4DDPerfect 4th
5EbE♭Diminished 5th
6FFMinor 6th
7GGMinor 7th
StepsW H W H W W W
Semitones2-1-2-1-2-2-2
Degrees1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Locrian #2 in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

Embed this scale

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A Locrian #2 scale on guitar shown as colored note dots
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