F♯ Locrian mode (G♭ Locrian)
F♯ Locrian mode is F♯ – G – A – B – C – D – E, with F♯. Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
F♯ Locrian mode, note by note
Counted in steps it goes H W W H W W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between F♯–G and B–C.
| Degree | Note | Interval from F♯ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | root | |
| ♭2 | G | minor second | |
| ♭3 | A | minor third | |
| 4 | B | perfect fourth | |
| ♭5 | C | tritone | |
| ♭6 | D | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | E | minor seventh |
What F♯ Locrian sounds like
F♯ Locrian is the mode whose tonic triad (F♯dim) has no perfect fifth. You'll meet it over F♯m7♭5 chords in jazz rather than as the key of a song.
Its home chord is F♯dim, diminished, so Locrian rarely works as a key; it's used over F♯m7♭5, where every note fits.
Compared with F♯ natural minor scale, F♯ Locrian mode has G and C where the other has G♯ and C♯; the other five notes are shared. Hear F♯ natural minor scale and compare.
F♯ Locrian mode uses the same seven notes as G major, starting from F♯ instead of G. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Locrian is playing it over a F♯ bass or chord.
Playing F♯ Locrian
On the piano it uses one black key (F♯) and six white.
18 notes fit in the box between frets 0 and 6, with F♯ at the 2nd fret of the low E string.
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords that fit F♯ Locrian mode; the ones that differ from the G major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
If you know F♯ Locrian mode, you already know the notes of C Lydian (starting on the 5th note, C), D Mixolydian (starting on the 6th note, D), E natural minor (starting on the 7th note, E), G major (starting on the 2nd note, G), A Dorian (starting on the 3rd note, A) and B Phrygian (starting on the 4th note, B).
F♯ Locrian mode across the fretboard
Anchor points for F♯: low E string fret 2 and 14, A string fret 9. Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 2, 4, 7, 9 and 11 on the low E string. Mostly used over a half-diminished chord rather than as a home key, because its tonic chord is unstable.
On the piano, F♯ Locrian mode uses 1 black key (F♯) and 6 white.
Try it in thirds to stop it sounding like an exercise: F♯–A, G–B, A–C, B–D, C–E, D–F♯, E–G, then back down.
Drills for F♯ Locrian
Once F♯ Locrian is comfortable up and down, break the order. Each pattern below uses only its 7 notes.
- Up in threes: F♯ G A · G A B · A B C · B C D · C D E · D E F♯.
- Lean on C: F♯ C F♯ C F♯: the ♭5 makes even the home chord unstable.
Close relatives of F♯ Locrian mode
Locrian mode in every key
F♯ Locrian mode: questions
What are the notes of the F♯ Locrian mode?
F♯, G, A, B, C, D, E, F♯. As degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the F♯ Locrian mode?
One: F♯.
What chords are in the F♯ Locrian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives F♯dim (i°), G (II), Am (iii), Bm (iv), C (V), D (VI) and Em (vii).
What's the difference between F♯ Locrian mode and F♯ natural minor scale?
G and C in F♯ Locrian; G♯ and C♯ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as F♯ Locrian mode?
G major. F♯ Locrian is G major played from its 7th note, F♯.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 and tested. Updated September 2026.