G♯ Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from A major

PARENT FAMILY · A MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	A Ionian	Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	B Dorian	Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	C♯ Phrygian	C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	D Lydian	Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	E Mixolydian	E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	F♯ Aeolian	F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	G♯ Locrian	G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

G♯ A B C♯ D E F♯

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

G♯m7♭5

II

Amaj7

III

Bm7

IV

C♯m7

V

Dmaj7

VI

E7

VII

F♯m7

▸ Play G♯ Locrian over G♯m7♭5 and E7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

G♯ 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 G♯, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is G♯m7♭5.

Where to use G♯ 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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