About the A sharp Locrian scale
A sharp Locrian is used for jazz soloing over half-diminished chords and tense, dissonant passages. Think of it as the most unstable mode of all, restless and unresolved. It is A♯ Phrygian with the fifth lowered.
Its notes are A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, and G♯. The formula is H W W H W W W. It is the seventh mode of B Major.
On the piano, A♯ Locrian touches the black keys A♯, C♯, D♯, F♯, and G♯.
Chords in the key of A sharp Locrian
Expand a chord to see how to play it.
i° A sharp diminished
A sharp diminished over C sharp (1st inversion)
II B
B over D sharp (1st inversion)
iii C sharp minor
C sharp minor over E (1st inversion)
iv D sharp minor
D sharp minor over F sharp (1st inversion)
V E
E over G sharp (1st inversion)
VI F sharp
F sharp over A sharp (1st inversion)
vii G sharp minor
G sharp minor over B (1st inversion)
Seventh chords in A sharp Locrian
The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.
i° A sharp minor seven flat five
A sharp minor seven flat five
II B major seven
B major seven
iii C sharp minor seven
C sharp minor seven
iv D sharp minor seven
D sharp minor seven
V E major seven
E major seven
VI F sharp seven
F sharp seven
vii G sharp minor seven
G sharp minor seven
Progressions in A sharp Locrian
Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | A#A♯ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | BB | Minor 2nd |
| 3 | C#C♯ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | D#D♯ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | EE | Diminished 5th |
| 6 | F#F♯ | Minor 6th |
| 7 | G#G♯ | Minor 7th |
| Steps | H W W H W W W |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 1-2-2-1-2-2-2 |
| Degrees | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 |
Fingering
Suggested fingering, follows standard fingering rules
| Hand | A sharp | B | C sharp | D sharp | E | F sharp | G sharp | A sharp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Left hand | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Locrian in other keys
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.