A♯ Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from B major

PARENT FAMILY · B MAJ

All 7 modes share the same parent scale (B major). A♯ Locrian is the VII mode.

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	B Ionian	Bmaj7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7 – Emaj7 – F♯7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	C♯ Dorian	C♯m7 – D♯m7 – Emaj7 – F♯7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7♭5 – Bmaj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	D♯ Phrygian	D♯m7 – Emaj7 – F♯7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7♭5 – Bmaj7 – C♯m7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	E Lydian	Emaj7 – F♯7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7♭5 – Bmaj7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	F♯ Mixolydian	F♯7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7♭5 – Bmaj7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7 – Emaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	G♯ Aeolian	G♯m7 – A♯m7♭5 – Bmaj7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7 – Emaj7 – F♯7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	A♯ Locrian	A♯m7♭5 – Bmaj7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7 – Emaj7 – F♯7 – G♯m7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

The Locrian scale on A♯ contains the notes A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯. The pentatonic subset is A♯, C♯, D♯, E, G♯.

Characteristic note: the ♭5 (diminished fifth) makes it unstable and rarely used as a tonal center.

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

A♯m7♭5

II

Bmaj7

III

C♯m7

IV

D♯m7

V

Emaj7

VI

F♯7

VII

G♯m7

▸ Play A♯ Locrian over A♯m7♭5 and F♯7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

A♯ Locrian is a minor mode with a unstable, tense, dissonant character. It is the VII mode of B major — it uses the same 7 notes as B Ionian but is rooted on A♯, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is A♯m7♭5.

Where to use A♯ Locrian

Metal, jazz, used sparingly.

Famous examples

Half-diminished chord contexts
Metallica solos

What makes it distinctive: the ♭5 (diminished fifth) makes it unstable and rarely used as a tonal center.

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