Arabian (Major Locrian) scale on guitar

This Arabian scale pairs a major third with a flat fifth, sixth and seventh, also known as the major Locrian scale.

Notes in A	A B C# D Eb F G
Formula	1 2 3 4 b5 b6 b7
Steps	W W H H W W W (W whole step, H half step)
Note count	7
Style in the app	Middle Eastern, scale "Arabian"

A Arabian (Major Locrian) on the first 15 frets in standard tuning, thin e string on top. Highlighted circles mark the root, A.

Play A Arabian (Major Locrian) on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale

About the Arabian (Major Locrian) scale

The notes are root, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, flat 5th, flat 6th and flat 7th. The bottom is major, the top is Locrian.

The name Arabian is used for several different scales in guitar books. This one is also called major Locrian.

Over a dominant 7th chord with a flat 5th (7b5) it fits every chord tone. The whole steps from the 3rd up to the flat 7th give it a whole tone colour.

Intervals from the root

Degree	Interval	Semitones	In A
1	Root	0	A
2	Major 2nd	2	B
3	Major 3rd	4	C#
4	Perfect 4th	5	D
b5	Tritone	6	Eb
b6	Minor 6th	8	F
b7	Minor 7th	10	G

Chords in A Arabian (Major Locrian)

Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each note. These chords sound at home with the scale, so they make good progressions.

Degree	Triad	Seventh chord
I	A(b5)	A7b5
ii°	Bdim	Bm7b5
III	none	none
iv	Dm	DmMaj7
bV+	Ebaug	Ebmaj7#5
bVI+	Faug	F7#5
bVII	G	G7

Same notes, another starting note

Start the A Arabian (Major Locrian) scale on another of its notes and you get these scales:

From degree 4 (D): D Neapolitan Major
From degree b5 (Eb): Eb Leading Whole Tone
From degree b7 (G): G Lydian Minor

Arabian (Major Locrian) in every key

Key	Notes	Play it
C	C D E F Gb Ab Bb	Open
Db	Db Eb F Gb G A Cb	Open
D	D E F# G Ab Bb C	Open
Eb	Eb F G Ab A Cb Db	Open
E	E F# G# A Bb C D	Open
F	F G A Bb Cb Db Eb	Open
F#	F# G# A# B C D E	Open
G	G A B C Db Eb F	Open
Ab	Ab Bb C Db D Fb Gb	Open
A	A B C# D Eb F G	Open
Bb	Bb C D Eb Fb Gb Ab	Open
B	B C# D# E F G A	Open