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Major Modes

A Locrian

NOTES
A A♯ C D D♯ F G A
SCALE FORMULA
1 – ♭2 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – ♭7
ABOUT THIS SCALE

The seventh major mode. Its flat second and flat fifth give it an unstable, tense sound useful over diminished or half-diminished harmony.

GUITAR FRETBOARD

A Locrian

Standard tuning — E A D G B E — open through fret 24.

Scale note Root Click any note to hear it.
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Playback: The scale follows a practical two-octave route across nearby strings and frets. The note currently sounding turns bright white.
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Chord progression ideas

Key of A

Locrian Tension

iø – ♭IImaj7 – iø
Am7♭5 → A♯maj7 → Am7♭5

The half-diminished tonic and flat-II strongly expose Locrian's unstable flat second and flat fifth.

Half-Diminished Vamp

iø – iv – iø
Am7♭5 → Dm → Am7♭5

A dark modal setting for exploring Locrian without forcing a conventional major or minor tonic.