B Locrian Pentatonic
Bass scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
B Locrian Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Locrian Pentatonic scale is an unstable and mysterious scale used to evoke tension and ambiguity. On Bass, its notes are B, D, E, F, A. It is often found in experimental music and certain Indian Ragas, providing a dissonant, outside sound that is perfect for dark, avant-garde, or high-tension compositions. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Experimental, Progressive. Notable players include John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz solos over ii chords in minor ii-V-i progressions.
Notes: B, D, E, F, A
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4P, 5d, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5
Formula: WH-W-H-4-W
Number of notes: 5
Also known as: minor seven flat five pentatonic
Musical Character
The darkest pentatonic — contains the b5 that defines the Locrian sound. Excellent for outlining m7b5 chords in jazz with minimal notes.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Jazz, Fusion, Experimental, Progressive
Notable players: John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel
How to Use the B Locrian Pentatonic Scale
Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz solos over ii chords in minor ii-V-i progressions.
Origin & Background
Jazz-derived pentatonic for navigating half-diminished chord changes with clarity.
Related Scales
Locrian Pentatonic is the Five-note Locrian subset. View B Locrian scale
The B Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (B, D, E, F, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.