How To Practice the Locrian Scale on Guitar

The world of guitar scales is vast, colorful, and intricate. While many beginners start their journey with the familiarity of major and minor scales, venturing into modes like the Locrian scale offers a unique sonic exploration.

The Locrian scale, with its distinct sound, stands apart from other scales, and understanding it can significantly elevate your guitar skills. This article delves into the world of the Locrian scale, providing insights, tips, and practices that are especially valuable for novices. With the aid of platforms like Rocksmith+, learners can make this exploration both engaging and educational.

What Is the Locrian Scale?

The origins of the Locrian scale can be traced back to ancient Western music. However, it wasn't as prominently used as other modes due to its diminished fifth, often considered an unstable or dissonant interval in many musical contexts. This very characteristic gives the Locrian its unique flavor. Over time, adventurous composers and musicians began to see the potential of this scale, weaving it into their compositions to create distinctive moods and textures.

In contemporary times, various genres, especially jazz and some forms of rock, have embraced the Locrian scale. A couple of tracks, available for exploration on Rocksmith+, provide glimpses into the scale's potential. By diving into these songs and understanding their structure, learners can appreciate the scale's importance and its place in modern music.

The journey with the Locrian scale is fascinating. As we delve deeper, you'll discover its structure, tips to master it, and ways to incorporate it into your playing. Stay tuned (or should we say, stay "tuning") as we embark on this musical adventure.

What Is the Basic Framework of the Locrian Scale?

At its heart, the Locrian scale is a minor scale with a couple of unique twists. It's constructed using the following formula: root, flat 2nd, flat 3rd, 4th, flat 5th, flat 6th, and flat 7th. The flattened fifth, as mentioned, is what truly sets this scale apart, lending it its characteristic dissonance.

Visually, if you were to start this scale on the A string of your guitar, you'd encounter the following pattern on your fretboard:

• A (root)

• Bb (flat 2nd)

• C (flat 3rd)

• D (4th)

• Eb (flat 5th)

• F (flat 6th)

• G (flat 7th)

Practicing this visual layout and committing it to memory will make mastering the Locrian scale far more intuitive.

What Are Some Tips for Practicing the Locrian Scale?

Now that you know the basics, let's talk about some key tips and tricks for practicing the Locrian Scale on guitar.

Tuning First

Before diving into any scale practice, it's essential to ensure your guitar is perfectly tuned. Rocksmith+ has an integrated chromatic tuner both within the learning platform, as well as a free downloadable tuner for your mobile devices that can help you fine-tune each string to perfection. This way, you're not only practicing but also training your ears to recognize pitch accuracy.

Start Slowly

The age-old adage, "slow and steady wins the race," couldn't be truer. Begin by playing the scale slowly, focusing on each note's clarity. While you could likely stumble through the patterns at a high speed, it's more important that you understand and feel comfortable with the shapes. As your fingers become familiar with the fret positions, gradually increase your speed.

Hand Positioning

Using your fretting hand, ensure that your fingers are positioned correctly on the frets. As you fret the individual notes, your hand should move as little as possible. Your picking hand should be relaxed, using alternate picking to glide through the notes seamlessly.

Consistent Practice

Like any other skill, mastery comes with consistent practice. Dedicate a portion of your practice sessions exclusively to the Locrian scale until you're comfortable moving up and down the scale without hesitation.

Single String Practice

Start by playing the scale up and down on a single string. This will help you internalize the interval relationships of the Locrian mode.

Position Shifting

Begin the scale on one position, move up by an octave, and then return to the starting note. This exercise helps in familiarizing yourself with the scale across various positions on the fretboard.

Use a Metronome

Play along with a metronome to maintain a steady rhythm. Start with a slower beat, and as you gain confidence, increase the metronome's speed. While a metronome may be frustrating at first, it's about creating a steady smooth feel within your playing.

Play With Locrian Songs

One of the best ways to understand any scale is to hear it in action. Dive into the Rocksmith+ library, filter tracks that utilize the Locrian scale, and play along. It provides a practical application of what you're learning, and before you know it, you'll be integrating the Locrian sound into your musical repertoire.

While the Locrian might seem challenging at first, with these exercises and the vast resources available on Rocksmith+, you're well on your way to mastery.

How To Incorporate the Locrian Scale Into Your Playing

The Locrian scale, with its distinct sound, can add a fresh layer of depth and sophistication to your musical expression. It's not always immediately evident how to integrate it. Here are some pointers:

Begin With Simple Licks

Instead of diving straight into lengthy solos, start by creating short licks or phrases using the Locrian scale. These should be simple licks, without the addition of happier ons or slides, or any other complexity. Simply walk through the scales to get a feel for the possible positions and tones. This allows you to get a feel for its sound and see how it can blend with other scales you already know.

Add Complex Transitions

Once you're comfortable walking through simple notes, start playing with slides, bends, hammer-ons, and other complex note transitions. Start finding where the complimentary and passive notes sit, and play with quick riffs and fills.

Layer With Chords

The Locrian scale pairs uniquely with the diminished chord due to its flat fifth. Try playing this chord and improvising over it using the Locrian scale. This combination can add a mysterious or tense mood to your music.

Combine With Other Modes

Once you're comfortable, try transitioning from the Locrian mode into other modes like the Major or Minor scale during your solos. This can produce an exciting dynamic range and show the contrast between the scales.

Seek Inspiration

Dive into the Rocksmith+ library, which boasts over 6,000 songs. You can find tracks that utilize the Locrian mode, and by playing along, you'll discover new ways to weave this scale into your guitar work.

What Are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid With the Locrian Scale?

Every new scale or technique comes with its set of challenges. For those embarking on their Locrian journey, here are common pitfalls to sidestep:

Overuse

While the Locrian scale is intriguing, using it excessively can overwhelm a piece. Great guitar players use a range of different styles, genres, and scales to build and create their sound over the years. Balance its usage with other scales to maintain musical variety.

Confusion With Other Modes

Given its similarity to the minor scale and other modes, it's easy to drift away from the Locrian mode's unique intervals. That being said, solos and runs rarely use a singular scale. Keep this in mind as you practice, to not confuse the Locrian scale with other additions over time. Regularly revisiting the scale's structure can prevent this mix-up.

Neglecting Ear Training

While it's great to know the theory and pattern of the scale, it's crucial to train your ears to recognize the Locrian sound. This is where we state it is a must to tune your guitar every time you practice, have a jam session, or even just pick up your guitar to play around. Creating a "false ear" or a false idea of what the scale or the tones should sound like could create issues down the road with your playing.

Rushing the Learning Process

The uniqueness of the Locrian scale means it might take a while to feel entirely at home with it. Avoid the urge to speed through your practice. Take it slow, ensuring you understand and are comfortable with each step before progressing. Learning new scales on the guitar, or learning guitar from the beginning, is a time-consuming skill, but one so many have found worth the time.

Embracing the Locrian Journey

The Locrian scale is a beautiful detour from the more commonly used guitar scales. Its distinct sound palette offers a fresh avenue for musical expression, one that can be both challenging and rewarding.

With the Rocksmith+ learning platform by your side, you have a treasure trove of resources, from the vast song library to the built-in chromatic tuner, aiding you in this journey. The Rocksmith+ library of more than 6,000 songs from different eras and genres provides a unique opportunity to play along with different scales, such as the Locrian scale.

Remember, every musical exploration, including delving into the depths of the Locrian mode, brings you one step closer to becoming the guitarist you aspire to be.

Sources:

The Locrian Mode: What Is It? | Hello Music Theory

Why Do Guitars Go Out of Tune? | Fender

How Long Does it Really Take to Learn Guitar? Here's What We Found | Mighty Expert.