Scale · Mandolin
F Locrian Scale · Mandolin
Fretboard map · Mandolin
Find every available note across the first 12 frets.
Notes
F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭ · E♭
Root: F
Intervals
1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7
How it is built
This scale starts on F and applies the intervals 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7. The result contains 7 distinct pitch classes per octave.
Explore related combinations
Guide and musical context
About F Locrian Mandolin Scale
F Locrian Mandolin scale uses the notes F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭. Its character is highly unstable because it combines a flat second and diminished fifth.
Character and sound
Highly unstable because it combines a flat second and diminished fifth.
Musical context and history
Modern Locrian is the seventh mode of the major scale and the only diatonic mode with a diminished fifth above the tonic. That feature makes conventional tonal rest difficult.
How and where it is used
It is mainly used as a modal color, over half-diminished chords and in jazz, metal and theory exercises.
On mandolin, fifths tuning encourages symmetric movable patterns. Unison string courses reinforce the attack, and the map helps locate the same note in different fretboard registers. Everything you see and hear on this page comes from the same note set shown above.
Harmonic and musical relationships
This scale can be understood as a mode of the F♯ major scale: it contains the same notes, but F acts as the tonal center. Changing the center changes how the same pitches are perceived.
The formula on this page is 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7 and, from F, produces the notes F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭ · E♭.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the F Locrian Mandolin scale?
The notes are F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Highly unstable because it combines a flat second and diminished fifth. It is mainly used as a modal color, over half-diminished chords and in jazz, metal and theory exercises.
How can I check it on Mandolin?
Use the interactive diagram on this page and press Play or Note by note. The highlighted positions, written notes and playback all use the same pitch collection.