About the E flat Locrian scale
E flat 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 E♭ Phrygian with the fifth lowered.
Its notes are E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭, and D♭. The formula is H W W H W W W. It is the seventh mode of F♭ Major.
E♭ Locrian uses four black keys on the piano, E♭, G♭, A♭, and D♭.
Chords in the key of E flat Locrian
Expand a chord to see how to play it.
i° E flat diminished
E flat diminished over G flat (1st inversion)
II F flat
F flat over A flat (1st inversion)
iii G flat minor
G flat minor over B double flat (1st inversion)
iv A flat minor
A flat minor over C flat (1st inversion)
V B double flat
B double flat over D flat (1st inversion)
VI C flat
C flat over E flat (1st inversion)
vii D flat minor
D flat minor over F flat (1st inversion)
Seventh chords in E flat Locrian
The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.
i° E flat minor seven flat five
E flat minor seven flat five
II F flat major seven
F flat major seven
iii G flat minor seven
G flat minor seven
iv A flat minor seven
A flat minor seven
V B double flat major seven
B double flat major seven
VI C flat seven
C flat seven
vii D flat minor seven
D flat minor seven
Progressions in E flat Locrian
Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | EbE♭ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | FbF♭ | Minor 2nd |
| 3 | GbG♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | AbA♭ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | BbbB♭♭ | Diminished 5th |
| 6 | CbC♭ | Minor 6th |
| 7 | DbD♭ | 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 | E flat | F flat | G flat | A flat | B double flat | C flat | D flat | E flat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Left hand | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Locrian in other keys
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.