A# Locrian Tres Cubano Scale
Tres Cubano scale — fretboard diagram
A# Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A# Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Tres Cubano, the notes are A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#. It sounds highly dissonant and unresolved, as its home chord is a diminished triad. While rare as a primary key, it is a crucial technical tool for jazz musicians improvising over half-diminished chords in tension-heavy passages. The diatonic chords of A# Locrian are A#m7b5, BMaj7, C#m7, D#m7, EMaj7, F#7, G#m7. Commonly used in Jazz, Metal, Experimental, Avant-Garde. Notable players include John Coltrane, Meshuggah, Dream Theater. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz ii-V-i in minor keys where the ii chord is half-diminished.
Notes: A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: H-W-W-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Diatonic Chords
A♯m7♭5 — BMaj7 — C♯m7 — D♯m7 — EMaj7 — F♯7 — G♯m7
How to Play A# Locrian on Tres Cubano
Begin by locating A# on your instrument and play through the 7 notes of the Locrian scale slowly, ensuring each note rings clearly before increasing speed.
The A# Locrian scale contains 5 sharps (A#, C#, D#, F#, G#). Its relative major is C# major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the A# Locrian scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
Try these progressions with the A# Locrian scale: A#m7b5 - D#m7 - EMaj7 - A#m7b5 (I-IV-V-I) or A#m7b5 - BMaj7 - D#m7 - EMaj7 for a more stepwise movement.
Tres Cubano Tips
Practice the A# Locrian scale slowly and evenly on your instrument, focusing on tone quality for each of the 7 notes before building speed.
The A# Locrian scale contains 7 notes (A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Tres Cubano with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A# Locrian
The A# Locrian scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.