Getting Started with G Locrian
G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb and F are the notes of the G Locrian scale. Set it beside G natural minor and two notes differ: Ab instead of A, and Db instead of D.
The first box starts on the 3rd fret of the low E string, and the open G string doubles the root. All seven notes live in Ab major. Because this mode is rare, a short drill from scale exercise ideas is enough to keep the sound in your ear.
Play the G locrian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the G locrian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Ab | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| Bb | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| C | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Db | b5 | Tritone | 6 |
| Eb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| F | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
G locrian scale notes:
How the locrian scale is built:
The locrian scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7, which gives the step pattern H-W-W-H-W-W-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is mode 7 of the Major Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.
G Locrian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (G)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the G locrian scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the locrian scale, starting from a different degree.
The locrian scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
