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A♭ locrian scale on bass guitar
A♭ locrian contains A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭♭, F♭, and G♭. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 4 for a five-fret shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the A♭ locrian scale on bass?
A♭ locrian in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 2, 8 notes across 4 strings, from F♭ on the E string at fret 0 up to B♭♭ on the G string at fret 2. The root falls on the G string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 2 | F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 0, 2 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 2 (D) | 0, 2 | E♭♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 1, 2 | A♭, B♭♭ |
Box 2 · frets 2–5
A♭ locrian in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 10 notes across 4 strings, from G♭ on the E string at fret 2 up to C♭ on the G string at fret 4. The root falls on the E string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 2, 4, 5 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 3 (A) | 2, 4, 5 | C♭, D♭, E♭♭ |
| 2 (D) | 2, 4 | F♭, G♭ |
| 1 (G) | 2, 4 | B♭♭, C♭ |
Box 3 · frets 4–7
A♭ locrian in box 3 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 12 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to E♭♭ on the G string at fret 7. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 5, 7 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 5, 7 | D♭, E♭♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6, 7 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 6, 7 | C♭, D♭, E♭♭ |
Box 4 · frets 7–10
A♭ locrian in box 4 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 9 notes across 4 strings, from C♭ on the E string at fret 7 up to F♭ on the G string at fret 9. No root falls inside this box; it sits between two of them.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 7, 9, 10 | C♭, D♭, E♭♭ |
| 3 (A) | 7, 9 | F♭, G♭ |
| 2 (D) | 7, 9 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 1 (G) | 7, 9 | E♭♭, F♭ |
Box 5 · frets 9–12
A♭ locrian in box 5 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 11 notes across 4 strings, from D♭ on the E string at fret 9 up to G♭ on the G string at fret 11. The root falls on the A string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9, 10, 12 | D♭, E♭♭, F♭ |
| 3 (A) | 9, 11, 12 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (D) | 9, 11, 12 | C♭, D♭, E♭♭ |
| 1 (G) | 9, 11 | F♭, G♭ |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ locrian is the seventh mode of C♭ major, sharing its key signature of seven flats. Lower the fifth of A♭ phrygian by one semitone to get the diminished fifth. The scale contains a tritone between A♭ and E♭♭, but no leading tone.
When to use it
A♭ locrian fits A♭ minor 7th flat 5th and A♭ diminished chords. Use it over half-diminished progressions in C♭ major, especially in jazz and metal. The ♭5 creates tension that resolves to A major or B minor.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. The root sits on string 4, fret 4, keeping the hand low and the shape compact.
Common questions
What notes are in A♭ locrian?
A♭ locrian contains A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭♭, F♭, and G♭. The scale degrees are 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, and ♭7. It has seven flats in its key signature. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does A♭ locrian fit?
A♭ locrian fits A♭ minor 7th flat 5th and A♭ diminished chords. These chords occur as the seventh degree in C♭ major. The scale's ♭5 matches the chord's diminished fifth.
How does A♭ locrian differ from A♭ phrygian?
A♭ locrian differs from A♭ phrygian by one note: the fifth is E♭♭ instead of E♭. This creates a diminished fifth instead of a perfect fifth. The rest of the notes are identical.