E♭ locrian uses E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭. Its root sits at fret 3 on string 3, leaving open strings mostly outside the scale.
E♭ locrian uses E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭. Its root sits at fret 3 on string 3, leaving open strings mostly outside the scale.
E♭ locrian is the seventh mode of F♭ major, built as 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7. It lowers the fifth of E♭ phrygian, creating a diminished tonic triad. The scale’s half-step opening and tritone against the root produce its unstable colour.
Use E♭ locrian over E♭ minor 7th flat 5th or E♭ diminished chords in minor-key turnarounds. It suits tense jazz passages and metal riffs that need a half-step lead-in. Try it over E♭ minor 7th flat 5th or E♭ diminished.
Learn Box 1 first. It places the root on strings 3 and 1 and covers frets 0–4 for quick low-position runs.
E♭ locrian in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 4, 12 notes across 4 strings, from D♭ on the C string at fret 1 up to D♭ on the A string at fret 4. The root falls on the C string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1, 2, 4 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
| 3 (C) | 1, 3, 4 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (E) | 0, 2, 4 | F♭, G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (A) | 0, 2, 4 | B♭♭, C♭, D♭ |
E♭ locrian in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 9 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the C string at fret 3 up to E♭ on the A string at fret 6. The root falls on the C string at fret 3 and the A string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4, 6 | C♭, D♭ |
| 3 (C) | 3, 4, 6 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 2 (E) | 4, 5 | A♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (A) | 4, 6 | D♭, E♭ |
E♭ locrian in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 11 notes across 4 strings, from G♭ on the C string at fret 6 up to G♭ on the A string at fret 9. The root falls on the G string at fret 8 and the A string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6, 8, 9 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (C) | 6, 8, 9 | G♭, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (E) | 7, 9 | C♭, D♭ |
| 1 (A) | 6, 7, 9 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
E♭ locrian in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the C string at fret 8 up to A♭ on the A string at fret 11. The root falls on the G string at fret 8 and the E string at fret 11.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8, 9, 11 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (C) | 8, 9, 11 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
| 2 (E) | 9, 11 | D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 9, 11 | G♭, A♭ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭, and D♭. The scale has a half step between E♭ and F♭, and a tritone between E♭ and B♭♭. It is the seventh mode of F♭ major. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th and E♭ diminished are the primary chords. The scale also works over E major and F♯ minor in passing. Use it where the harmony implies a diminished tonic.
The flattened fifth creates a tritone with the root. Combined with the flattened second, the scale lacks a perfect fifth. This makes it hard to resolve and gives a dark, tense quality.