F♯ Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from G major

PARENT FAMILY · G MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	G Ionian	Gmaj7 – Am7 – Bm7 – Cmaj7 – D7 – Em7 – F♯m7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	A Dorian	Am7 – Bm7 – Cmaj7 – D7 – Em7 – F♯m7♭5 – Gmaj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	B Phrygian	Bm7 – Cmaj7 – D7 – Em7 – F♯m7♭5 – Gmaj7 – Am7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	C Lydian	Cmaj7 – D7 – Em7 – F♯m7♭5 – Gmaj7 – Am7 – Bm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	D Mixolydian	D7 – Em7 – F♯m7♭5 – Gmaj7 – Am7 – Bm7 – Cmaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	E Aeolian	Em7 – F♯m7♭5 – Gmaj7 – Am7 – Bm7 – Cmaj7 – D7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	F♯ Locrian	F♯m7♭5 – Gmaj7 – Am7 – Bm7 – Cmaj7 – D7 – Em7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

F♯ G A B C D E

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

F♯m7♭5

II

Gmaj7

III

Am7

IV

Bm7

V

Cmaj7

VI

D7

VII

Em7

▸ Play F♯ Locrian over F♯m7♭5 and D7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

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

Where to use F♯ 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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