B Locrian ♮2Scale

Formula

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

B Locrian ♮2 on the chromatic circle

B 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 DI Melodic minor 4 EII Dorian ♭2 ♭5 FIII Lydian augmented ♭6 GIV Lydian dominant ♭7 AV Mixolydian ♭6 1 BVI Locrian ♮2 2 C♯VII Altered B Locrian ♮2
The whole neck

B 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 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 1 ♭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
Harmony

Chords in B 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°Bm7♭5B D F A
ii°C♯m7♭5C♯ E G B
♭iiiDm(maj7)D F A C♯
ivEm7E G B D
♭V+Fmaj7♯5F A C♯ E
♭VIG7G B D F
♭VIIA7A C♯ E G
Context

Where B 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.

B 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

B Locrian ♮2 scale questions

What notes are in the B Locrian ♮2 scale?

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

What is the B 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 B Locrian ♮2 scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of B 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 A shape to the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape.

What chords are in the B Locrian ♮2 scale?

Bm7♭5 (i°), C♯m7♭5 (ii°), Dm(maj7) (♭iii), Em7 (iv), Fmaj7♯5 (♭V+), G7 (♭VI), A7 (♭VII).

When is the B 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.