A Locrian ♮2Scale

Formula

W H W H W W W 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
The family

A Locrian ♮2 on the chromatic circle

A Locrian ♮2 is the 6th mode of the Melodic minor family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W H W W W W H ♭3 CI Melodic minor 4 DII Dorian ♭2 ♭5 E♭III Lydian augmented ♭6 FIV Lydian dominant ♭7 GV Mixolydian ♭6 1 AVI Locrian ♮2 2 BVII Altered A Locrian ♮2
The whole neck

A Locrian ♮2 across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Harmony

Chords in A Locrian ♮2

Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.

DegreeChordNotes
i°Am7♭5A C E♭ G
ii°Bm7♭5B D F A
♭iiiCm(maj7)C E♭ G B
ivDm7D F A C
♭V+E♭maj7♯5E♭ G B D
♭VIF7F A C E♭
♭VIIG7G B D F
Context

Where A Locrian ♮2 fits

Over m7♭5 chords, the ii of a minor ii–V–i in jazz. Its natural 2nd sits better over the chord than Locrian’s ♭2.

A Locrian ♮2 is mode 6 of the melodic minor family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:

Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:

Locrian ♮2 scale in every key

A Locrian ♮2 scale questions

What notes are in the A Locrian ♮2 scale?

A B C D E♭ F G. As degrees from the root: 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.

What is the A Locrian ♮2 scale formula?

1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, W H W H W W W (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the A Locrian ♮2 scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of A Locrian ♮2 up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape to the A shape.

What chords are in the A Locrian ♮2 scale?

Am7♭5 (i°), Bm7♭5 (ii°), Cm(maj7) (♭iii), Dm7 (iv), E♭maj7♯5 (♭V+), F7 (♭VI), G7 (♭VII).

When is the A Locrian ♮2 scale used?

Over m7♭5 chords, the ii of a minor ii–V–i in jazz. Its natural 2nd sits better over the chord than Locrian’s ♭2.