Chord Colors

E Locrian #2 scale

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About the E Locrian #2 scale

E 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 E Natural Minor with the fifth lowered.

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

Also called Half-Diminished and Aeolian 5.

Learn more about the E Locrian #2 scale

Four open-string notes belong to E Locrian 2, namely E, A, D, and G. A guitarist finds the lowest E on the open low E string. A full root-to-root octave of this scale fits within the first three frets, so it has a real open-position box.

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.

E shapeopen
D shapefr 1
C shapefr 4
A shapefr 6
G 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 1open
Shape 2fr 1
Shape 3fr 3
Shape 4fr 5
Shape 5fr 6
Shape 6fr 8
Shape 7fr 10
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 1open
Position 2fr 2
Position 3fr 3
Position 4fr 5
Position 5fr 6
Position 6fr 8
Position 7fr 10

Chords in the key of E Locrian #2

Expand a chord to see how to play it.

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

Seventh chords in E Locrian #2

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

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

Notes and intervals

1EERoot
2F#F♯Major 2nd
3GGMinor 3rd
4AAPerfect 4th
5BbB♭Diminished 5th
6CCMinor 6th
7DDMinor 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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E Locrian #2 scale on guitar shown as colored note dots
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