G Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from G♯ major

PARENT FAMILY · G♯ MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	G♯ Ionian	G♯maj7 – A♯m7 – Cm7 – C♯maj7 – D♯7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	A♯ Dorian	A♯m7 – Cm7 – C♯maj7 – D♯7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – G♯maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	C Phrygian	Cm7 – C♯maj7 – D♯7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – G♯maj7 – A♯m7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	C♯ Lydian	C♯maj7 – D♯7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – G♯maj7 – A♯m7 – Cm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	D♯ Mixolydian	D♯7 – Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – G♯maj7 – A♯m7 – Cm7 – C♯maj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	F Aeolian	Fm7 – Gm7♭5 – A♭maj7 – B♭m7 – Cm7 – D♭maj7 – E♭7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	G Locrian	Gm7♭5 – G♯maj7 – A♯m7 – Cm7 – C♯maj7 – D♯7 – Fm7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

G G♯ A♯ C C♯ D♯ F

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Gm7♭5

II

G♯maj7

III

A♯m7

IV

Cm7

V

C♯maj7

VI

D♯7

VII

Fm7

▸ Play G Locrian over Gm7♭5 and D♯7 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 G♯ major — it uses the same 7 notes as G♯ Ionian but is rooted on G, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Gm7♭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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