Locrian scale · 7 notes
C Locrian scale on guitar
The C Locrian scale has 7 notes: C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭ and B♭. The unstable mode: ♭2 and ♭5 make its root chord diminished.
Notes
- C
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G♭
- A♭
- B♭
Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W – W – H – W – W – W
Sound
Unstable, tense and dissonant
C Locrian on the whole fretboard
Every C Locrian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
C at fret 8. 7th position: frets 7–11.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C Locrian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C, the C Locrian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 5 flats (D♭, E♭, G♭, A♭ and B♭). Compared with C minor, it has D♭ (♭2) instead of D and G♭ (♭5) instead of G.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | D♭ | minor 2nd | 1 |
| ♭3 | E♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | F | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | G♭ | diminished 5th | 6 |
| ♭6 | A♭ | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | B♭ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in C Locrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to C Locrian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in C Locrian.
- i°C°C · E♭ · G♭Cm7♭5
- ♭IID♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭maj7
- ♭iiiE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭E♭m7
- ivFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- ♭VG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭G♭maj7
- ♭VIA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭7
- ♭viiB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
Progressions to try
- C° – D♭ i°–♭II
- C° – G♭ – D♭ i°–♭V–♭II
How to use C Locrian
Reach for it over m7♭5 (half-diminished) chords, the ii chord of a minor key, and heavy metal riffs that avoid resolution. Its sound is unstable, tense and dissonant.
Tip: You will use Locrian far more over a single m7♭5 chord (the ii in a minor ii–V–i) than as the key of a whole song.
- C Locrian contains exactly the notes of D♭ major, played from its seventh note, C. See D♭ major.
Where to find C on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 8 |
| B (2nd) | 1 |
| G (3rd) | 5 |
| D (4th) | 10 |
| A (5th) | 3 |
| Low E (6th) | 8 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C Locrian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C Locrian scale FAQ
What notes are in the C Locrian scale?
The C Locrian scale has 7 notes: C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭ and B♭. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 5 flats (D♭, E♭, G♭, A♭ and B♭).
What chords are in C Locrian?
Harmonising the C Locrian scale in thirds gives C° (i°), D♭ (♭II), E♭m (♭iii), Fm (iv), G♭ (♭V), A♭ (♭VI) and B♭m (♭vii).
Where do you play the C Locrian scale on guitar?
The root, C, is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 7–11, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as C Locrian?
C Locrian contains exactly the notes of D♭ major, played from its seventh note, C.