C Locrian mode
The most unstable mode: a flat second and a diminished fifth. Rare in practice, it’s mostly used for tension that never resolves.
- Notes:
- C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭.
- Formula:
- 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7.
- Style:
- Metal, jazz.
- Difficulty:
- Advanced.
On the neck
Every note of the scale on the neck (choose 12, 15 or 19 frets). Click to listen.
High E at the top, just like in tab.Neck seen from the front, headstock at the top: low E on the left, just like a chord diagram.
Play the scale notes over it. Open in the Studio
Its color
Locrian has a flat second and, above all, a diminished fifth: here G♭. Its root chord is diminished, so it’s unstable: that’s why it’s rare in practice. It has the same notes as the D♭ major scale, but starts on C.
Which chords to play it over
It goes over a half-diminished chord (m7♭5), which the site doesn’t cover yet. To hear it, try the D♭, Fm, D♭, Fm progression while aiming for C.
Where you hear it
Rarely: a few metal riffs and experimental music. Often-cited example: “Army of Me” (Björk).
Chords that go with it
The chords built on the notes of the scale: improvise with this scale over any progression that uses them.
Progressions to use it on
Loop the first one and improvise over it:
All 7 positions
Seven positions, one for each note of the mode, with three notes per string: the same shapes as the major scale, but the root (in orange) falls elsewhere. The characteristic note is in purple. Position 1 starts on the root, on the 6th string.
Position 1: frets 8 to 13
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|---------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|-------------------------------9-11-13---------| G|-----------------------8-10-11-----------------| D|---------------8-10-11-------------------------| A|--------8-9-11---------------------------------| E|-8-9-11----------------------------------------|
Position 2: frets 9 to 14
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|--------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|-----------------------------------11-13-14----------| G|--------------------------10-11-13-------------------| D|-----------------10-11-13----------------------------| A|---------9-11-13-------------------------------------| E|-9-11-13---------------------------------------------|
Position 3: frets 11 to 16
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|----------------------------------------------13-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------13-14-16----------| G|----------------------------11-13-15-------------------| D|-------------------11-13-15----------------------------| A|----------11-13-15-------------------------------------| E|-11-13-14----------------------------------------------|
Position 4: frets 1 to 6
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|-------------------------------2-4-6-| B|-------------------------2-4-6-------| G|-------------------1-3-5-------------| D|-------------1-3-4-------------------| A|-------1-3-4-------------------------| E|-1-2-4-------------------------------|
Position 5: frets 2 to 8
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|-------------------------------4-6-8-| B|-------------------------4-6-7-------| G|-------------------3-5-6-------------| D|-------------3-4-6-------------------| A|-------3-4-6-------------------------| E|-2-4-6-------------------------------|
Position 6: frets 4 to 9
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|-------------------------------6-8-9-| B|-------------------------6-7-9-------| G|-------------------5-6-8-------------| D|-------------4-6-8-------------------| A|-------4-6-8-------------------------| E|-4-6-8-------------------------------|
Position 7: frets 6 to 11
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|----------------------------------8-9-11-| B|---------------------------7-9-11--------| G|--------------------6-8-10---------------| D|-------------6-8-10----------------------| A|-------6-8-9-----------------------------| E|-6-8-9-----------------------------------|