Explore scales · Bass
B♭ locrian scale on bass guitar
B♭ locrian contains B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, and A♭. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 6 for a five-fret shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the B♭ locrian scale on bass?
B♭ locrian in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 8 notes across 4 strings, from F♭ on the E string at fret 0 up to B♭ on the G string at fret 3. The root falls on the A string at fret 1 and the G string at fret 3.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 2 | F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 1, 2 | B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (D) | 1, 2 | E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 1, 3 | A♭, B♭ |
Box 2 · frets 2–4
B♭ locrian in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 4, 8 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 G string at fret 3.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 2, 4 | G♭, A♭ |
| 3 (A) | 2, 4 | C♭, D♭ |
| 2 (D) | 2, 4 | F♭, G♭ |
| 1 (G) | 3, 4 | B♭, C♭ |
Box 3 · frets 4–7
B♭ locrian in box 3 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to D♭ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the E string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 6, 7 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6 | G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 6 | C♭, D♭ |
Box 4 · frets 6–9
B♭ locrian in box 4 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 12 notes across 4 strings, from B♭ on the E string at fret 6 up to F♭ on the G string at fret 9. The root falls on the E string at fret 6 and the D string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 7, 9 | B♭, C♭, D♭ |
| 3 (A) | 6, 7, 9 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 2 (D) | 6, 8, 9 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (G) | 6, 8, 9 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
Box 5 · frets 9–12
B♭ locrian in box 5 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 9 notes across 4 strings, from D♭ on the E string at fret 9 up to G♭ on the G string at fret 11. 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) | 9, 11, 12 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (A) | 9, 11 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 9, 11 | C♭, D♭ |
| 1 (G) | 9, 11 | F♭, G♭ |
Box 6 · frets 11–14
B♭ locrian in box 6 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 11 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the E string at fret 11 up to A♭ on the G string at fret 13. The root falls on the A string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 12, 14 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 11, 13, 14 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13, 14 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 11, 13 | G♭, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ locrian is the seventh mode of D♭ major, sharing its key signature of five flats. Lower the fifth of B♭ phrygian by one semitone to get the diminished fifth. The scale contains a tritone between B♭ and F♭, but no leading tone.
When to use it
B♭ locrian fits B♭ minor 7th flat 5th and B♭ diminished chords. Use it over half-diminished progressions in D♭ major, especially in jazz and metal. The ♭5 creates tension that resolves to B major or C♯ minor.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. The root sits on string 4, fret 6, keeping the hand low and the shape compact.
Common questions
What notes are in B♭ locrian?
B♭ locrian contains B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, and A♭. The scale degrees are 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, and ♭7. It has five flats in its key signature. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does B♭ locrian fit?
B♭ locrian fits B♭ minor 7th flat 5th and B♭ diminished chords. These chords occur as the seventh degree in D♭ major. The scale's ♭5 matches the chord's diminished fifth.
How does B♭ locrian differ from B♭ phrygian?
B♭ locrian differs from B♭ phrygian by one note: the fifth is F♭ instead of F. This creates a diminished fifth instead of a perfect fifth. The rest of the notes are identical.