B Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from C major

PARENT FAMILY · C MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	C Ionian	Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7 – Am7 – Bm7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	D Dorian	Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7 – Am7 – Bm7♭5 – Cmaj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	E Phrygian	Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7 – Am7 – Bm7♭5 – Cmaj7 – Dm7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	F Lydian	Fmaj7 – G7 – Am7 – Bm7♭5 – Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	G Mixolydian	G7 – Am7 – Bm7♭5 – Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	A Aeolian	Am7 – Bm7♭5 – Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	B Locrian	Bm7♭5 – Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7 – Am7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

B C D E F G A

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Bm7♭5

II

Cmaj7

III

Dm7

IV

Em7

V

Fmaj7

VI

G7

VII

Am7

▸ Play B Locrian over Bm7♭5 and G7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

B Locrian is a minor mode with a unstable, tense, dissonant character. It is the VII mode of C major — it uses the same 7 notes as C Ionian but is rooted on B, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Bm7♭5.

Where to use B 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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