E Locrian ♮2Scale

Formula

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

E Locrian ♮2 on the chromatic circle

E 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 GI Melodic minor 4 AII Dorian ♭2 ♭5 B♭III Lydian augmented ♭6 CIV Lydian dominant ♭7 DV Mixolydian ♭6 1 EVI Locrian ♮2 2 F♯VII Altered E Locrian ♮2
The whole neck

E 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 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 ♭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
Harmony

Chords in E 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°Em7♭5E G B♭ D
ii°F♯m7♭5F♯ A C E
♭iiiGm(maj7)G B♭ D F♯
ivAm7A C E G
♭V+B♭maj7♯5B♭ D F♯ A
♭VIC7C E G B♭
♭VIID7D F♯ A C
Context

Where E 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.

E 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

E Locrian ♮2 scale questions

What notes are in the E Locrian ♮2 scale?

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

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

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

What chords are in the E Locrian ♮2 scale?

Em7♭5 (i°), F♯m7♭5 (ii°), Gm(maj7) (♭iii), Am7 (iv), B♭maj7♯5 (♭V+), C7 (♭VI), D7 (♭VII).

When is the E 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.