F# Locrian #2 Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in Baritone (B Standard) tuning — fretboard diagram
F# Locrian #2 in Baritone (B Standard) — Notes and Intervals
The F# Locrian #2 scale is a more usable and consonant version of the standard Locrian mode. On Guitar, it contains the notes F#, G#, A, B, C, D, E. It is the preferred choice for jazz musicians soloing over half-diminished chords, as its natural second degree allows for much smoother and more melodic voice leading. Commonly used in Jazz, Post-Bop, Contemporary. Notable players include John Coltrane, Woody Shaw, Steve Coleman. Use over m7b5 chords. The preferred jazz choice over half-diminished chords (vs standard Locrian which sounds too harsh).
Notes: F#, G#, A, B, C, D, E
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: W-H-W-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: Baritone (B Standard) (B-E-A-D-F#-B)
Also known as: half-diminished, aeolian b5
About Baritone (B Standard) Tuning
The baritone guitar is tuned a perfect fourth lower than standard guitar (B-E-A-D-F#-B), producing a distinctly beefy tone with serious low-end depth that sits perfectly between guitar and bass. Its rich, dark voice has made it a secret weapon in film scoring, ambient music, and moody songwriting where you need that unmistakable low-end warmth without losing clarity.
Unlike simply tuning a standard guitar down (which causes floppy strings and muddy tone), the baritone guitar uses a longer scale length (typically 27"-30") designed specifically for lower tunings. This gives each note clarity and definition even in the lowest register. Session musicians, film composers, and bedroom producers alike reach for the baritone when they need dark, atmospheric textures, doom-laden riffs, or simply a different sonic palette that standard guitar can't deliver.
Notable artists: Pat Metheny, Nels Cline, Brian Setzer, Baritone session players in Nashville
Best for: Moody songwriting, film scoring, ambient textures, doom metal, and any production that needs low-end depth with clarity
Musical Character
The natural 2nd degree (vs b2 in standard Locrian) makes this vastly more usable — smoother voice leading while retaining the essential b5 for half-diminished harmony.