B locrian scale on 6-string bass

B · C · D · E · F · G · A

The course explains what this page shows in Lesson 24 · Modes.

The notes

  1. B1
  2. C♭2
  3. D♭3
  4. E4
  5. F♭5
  6. G♭6
  7. A♭7

The B locrian scale is B, C, D, E, F, G, A.

You may also see it called 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.

On the staff

BCDEFGAB

On a bass staff, the B locrian scale is written B C D E F G A.

This is one octave of the B locrian scale, written on the bass clef. Guitar and bass music is written an octave higher than it sounds, and the small 8 under the clef is the sign for that.

Why the B locrian scale has no sharps or flats

  1. B1
  2. S
  3. C♭2
  4. T
  5. D♭3
  6. T
  7. E4
  8. S
  9. F♭5
  10. T
  11. G♭6
  12. T
  13. A♭7
  14. T
  15. B8

A scale is a pattern of steps, and this one is S T T S T T T: a semitone, a tone, a tone, and so on. S stands for a semitone, the distance of one fret or one key. T stands for a tone, which is two semitones. The pattern is what gives B locrian its sound, and it stays the same whichever note you start on.

The second rule is that a seven-note scale uses each letter name once, from A to G, so its seven notes take seven different letters. That is why B locrian is spelled the way it is, rather than with whichever accidental looks tidier.

Every letter already falls where the pattern needs it, so B locrian is written with no sharps or flats at all.

The B locrian scale needs no sharps or flats, because every letter already falls where the S T T S T T T pattern of steps needs it.

The pattern of steps is the part of a scale that never changes. The letter names take sharps or flats to fit that pattern, and a key signature is a record of those sharps or flats.

On the piano

♭2C♭3D4E♭5F♭6G♭7A1B♭2C♭3D4E♭5F♭6G♭7A1B♭2C♭3D4E♭5F♭6G♭7A1B♭2C♭3D4E♭5F♭6G♭7A1B♭2C♭3D4E♭5F♭6G♭7A1B♭2CC♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C0C1C2C3C4C5

The keyboard shows the same seven notes as a shape you can see. The coloured keys are the B locrian scale, and you can click any key to hear it.

B locrian scale on the whole neck

BEADGC123456789101112131415B1C♭2D♭3E4F♭5G♭6A♭7B1C♭2D♭3E4F♭5G♭6A♭7B1C♭2D♭3E4F♭5G♭6A♭7B1C♭2D♭3E4F♭5G♭6A♭7B1C♭2D♭3E4F♭5G♭6A♭7B1C♭2D♭3E4F♭5G♭6A♭7B1C♭2D♭3E4F♭5G♭6A♭7C♭2D♭3E4F♭5G♭6A♭7B1C♭2D♭3

90 notes of the B locrian scale are marked across six strings.

This is every place the notes of the B locrian scale fall on the 6-string bass, with each note's name and its scale degree. The roots are marked so you can find your bearings.

Position by position

Position 1 — starts on the ♭2
BEADGC123456♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5
Position 2 — starts on the ♭3
BEADGC345678♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6
Position 3 — starts on the 4
BEADGC56789104♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭7
Position 4 — starts on the ♭5
BEADGC67891011♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭7
Position 5 — starts on the ♭6
BEADGC8910111213♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2
Position 6 — starts on the ♭7
BEADGC101112131415♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭3
Position 7 — starts on the 1
BEADGC1213141516171♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34

The B locrian scale has seven playable positions, at frets 1–5, 3–7, 5–9, 6–10, 8–12, 10–14 and 12–16.

Each shape starts on a different degree of the scale and fits inside five frets, so your hand can play all of it without moving.

One climb up the neck

BEADGC123456789101♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭71♭2♭34♭5♭6♭7TAB013513523573574579579

The climb runs from fret 0 to fret 9 and plays 21 notes.

This is one path from the lowest root to the top of the neck, and it plays each note once, never on two strings. It takes a different number of notes on different strings. The widest stretch on any one string is five frets.