A Super Locrian Pentatonic Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
What chords fit over A Super Locrian Pentatonic?
Open A Super Locrian Pentatonic HarmonizerA Super Locrian Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A Super Locrian Pentatonic scale is an aggressive and highly dissonant subset of the altered scale. On Ukulele, it contains the notes A, C, Db, Eb, G. It is a primary tool for advanced jazz guitarists and horn players to create outside tension over altered dominant chords before resolving back to the tonic. Commonly used in Jazz, Avant-Garde, Fusion. Notable players include John Coltrane, Michael Brecker. Use over 7alt, 7#9b13 chords. The pentatonic shortcut for maximum 'outside' tension over altered dominants.
Notes: A, C, Db, Eb, G
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4d, 5d, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5
Formula: WH-H-W-4-W
Number of notes: 5
Musical Character
The most dissonant pentatonic — a 5-note distillation of the Altered scale. Every note creates tension against a dominant chord.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Jazz, Avant-Garde, Fusion
Notable players: John Coltrane, Michael Brecker
How to Use the A Super Locrian Pentatonic Scale
Use over 7alt, 7#9b13 chords. The pentatonic shortcut for maximum 'outside' tension over altered dominants.
Origin & Background
Advanced jazz pentatonic extracted from the Super Locrian / Altered scale for efficient improvisation.
How to Play A Super Locrian Pentatonic on Ukulele
On ukulele, find A on the open strings or work through the scale within a four-fret span. With 5 notes, this scale fits neatly on the ukulele's short fretboard without requiring large stretches.
The A Super Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 2 flats (Db, Eb). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine — Exercises for Playing
Set a metronome to 100 BPM and play the A Super Locrian Pentatonic 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.
This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in A. Try a A5 - Eb5 - G5 progression. This scale is especially effective in avant-garde contexts.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the A Super Locrian Pentatonic scale easy to visualize in a single position. Use this to your advantage by memorizing the scale shape relative to chord shapes you already know. Aim for a aggressive quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
Super Locrian Pentatonic is the Altered scale pentatonic subset. View A Altered scale
The A Super Locrian Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (A, C, Db, Eb, G). Use the interactive fretboard diagram above to explore each shape and pattern on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges. Practice ascending and descending from the root note to learn the sound of this scale.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Super Locrian Pentatonic
The A Super Locrian Pentatonic 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 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore A Super Locrian Pentatonic Further
- Harmonize the A Super Locrian Pentatonic scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A Super Locrian Pentatonic on Guitar
- A Super Locrian Pentatonic on Bass
- A Super Locrian Pentatonic on Piano