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