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Piano scale

F♯ Locrian Mode

The F♯ Locrian Mode has 7 notes: F♯ – G – A – B – C – D – E.

  1. F♯
    1
  2. G
    2
  3. A
    3
  4. B
    4
  5. C
    5
  6. D
    6
  7. E
    7

Notes of the F♯ Locrian Mode

DegreeNotesIntervalsFormula
1F♯Root1
2GMinor 2nd♭2
3AMinor 3rd♭3
4BPerfect 4th4
5CDiminished 5th♭5
6DMinor 6th♭6
7EMinor 7th♭7

Step pattern

H – W – W – H – W – W – W

From the root to the octave the scale moves in this pattern: H – W – W – H – W – W – W.

W = whole step (2 semitones), H = half step (1 semitone), W+H = 3 semitones

Sound and character

The most dissonant mode — a diminished 5th built right into the scale. Unstable by design. Rarely used melodically, but beloved in heavy metal.

Sound: Dissonant & extreme

Chords in the F♯ Locrian Mode

Stack every other note of the scale on each degree to get its chords.

DegreeTriads7th chords
i°F♯dimF♯m7♭5
IIGGmaj7
iiiAmAm7
ivBmBm7
VCCmaj7
VIDD7
viiEmEm7

How to use it

Mostly used over a half-diminished (m7♭5) chord, for example the ii chord of a minor ii–V–i in jazz.

F♯ Locrian Mode uses the same notes as the G Major scale, starting from a different note.

Songs that use it

  • YYZ · Rush
    Progressive Rock
  • Army of Darkness Theme · Joseph LoDuca
    Film Score
  • Seek & Destroy · Metallica
    Metal

Play the F♯ Locrian Mode with different sounds in the interactive builder.

Open in the chord builder

Practising on an acoustic piano that sounds off?

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