A Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from A♯ major

PARENT FAMILY · A♯ MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	A♯ Ionian	A♯maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	C Dorian	Cm7 – Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5 – A♯maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	D Phrygian	Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5 – A♯maj7 – Cm7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	D♯ Lydian	D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5 – A♯maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	F Mixolydian	F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5 – B♭maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7 – E♭maj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	G Aeolian	Gm7 – Am7♭5 – A♯maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	A Locrian	Am7♭5 – A♯maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

A A♯ C D D♯ F G

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Am7♭5

II

A♯maj7

III

Cm7

IV

Dm7

V

D♯maj7

VI

F7

VII

Gm7

▸ Play A Locrian over Am7♭5 and F7 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 A♯ major — it uses the same 7 notes as A♯ Ionian but is rooted on A, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Am7♭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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