F♯ locrian
F♯ natural minor with two notes lowered: G and C. Seven notes: F♯ G A B C D E. The same notes as G major, centred on F♯. Locrian is rarely used as a home key.
- Parent key
- G major Same notes
- Colour note
- G and C The flat 2nd and 5th
- Repeating chords
- F♯° – G i° – ♭II
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| i°VampF♯°F♯ · A · C | ||||
| ♭IIVampGG · B · D | ||||
| ♭iiiAmA · C · E | ||||
| ivBmB · D · F♯ | ||||
| ♭VCC · E · G | ||||
| ♭VIDD · F♯ · A | ||||
| ♭viiEmE · G · B |
What makes it locrian
Natural minor, with the 2nd and 5th lowered
Two notes separate F♯ locrian from F♯ natural minor: G♯ becomes G and C♯ becomes C. Over the same root, that turns F♯m – G♯° into F♯° – G.
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
Hear the difference
One chord that says locrian
F♯m7♭5 holds C, one of the mode's two colour notes. Play it to hear those notes together.
The brightness ladder
Seven modes on F♯
From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Locrian is row 7 of seven.
↑ Brighter
- F♯ lydianF♯G♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯♯4
- F♯ ionian (major)F♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯—
- F♯ mixolydianF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯E♭7
- F♯ dorianF♯G♯ABC♯D♯E♭3 ♭7
- F♯ aeolian (natural minor)F♯G♯ABC♯DE♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- F♯ phrygianF♯GABC♯DE♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- F♯ locrianF♯GABCDE♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating F♯° – G chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with G and C ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickF♯° – G, two bars each, in frets 2–5. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
- Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while F♯° – G sounds. Stay in frets 2–5.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver F♯°, aim for C; over G, aim for G. They are the notes that make it locrian.80 bpmLevel 2