Locrian scale · 7 notes
D♯ Locrian scale on guitar
The D♯ Locrian scale (D sharp Locrian scale) has 7 notes: D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, B and C♯. The unstable mode: ♭2 and ♭5 make its root chord diminished. You may also see it written as E♭ Locrian, but D♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
- C♯
Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
H – W – W – H – W – W – W
Sound
Unstable, tense and dissonant
D♯ Locrian on the whole fretboard
Every D♯ Locrian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, D♯, 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
D♯ at fret 11. 10th position: frets 10–14.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of D♯ Locrian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from D♯, the D♯ Locrian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 4 sharps (D♯, F♯, G♯ and C♯). Compared with E♭ minor, it has E (♭2) instead of F and A (♭5) instead of B♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭2 | E | minor 2nd | 1 |
| ♭3 | F♯ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | G♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | A | diminished 5th | 6 |
| ♭6 | B | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | C♯ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in D♯ Locrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to D♯ Locrian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in D♯ Locrian.
- i°D♯°D♯ · F♯ · AD♯m7♭5
- ♭IIEE · G♯ · BEmaj7
- ♭iiiF♯mF♯ · A · C♯F♯m7
- ivG♯mG♯ · B · D♯G♯m7
- ♭VAA · C♯ · EAmaj7
- ♭VIBB · D♯ · F♯B7
- ♭viiC♯mC♯ · E · G♯C♯m7
Progressions to try
- D♯° – E i°–♭II
- D♯° – A – E i°–♭V–♭II
How to use D♯ 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.
- D♯ Locrian contains exactly the notes of E major, played from its seventh note, D♯. See E major.
Where to find D♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every D♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with D♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 11 |
| B (2nd) | 4 |
| G (3rd) | 8 |
| D (4th) | 1 |
| A (5th) | 6 |
| Low E (6th) | 11 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as D♯ Locrian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
D♯ Locrian scale FAQ
What notes are in the D♯ Locrian scale?
The D♯ Locrian scale has 7 notes: D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, B and C♯. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 4 sharps (D♯, F♯, G♯ and C♯).
What chords are in D♯ Locrian?
Harmonising the D♯ Locrian scale in thirds gives D♯° (i°), E (♭II), F♯m (♭iii), G♯m (iv), A (♭V), B (♭VI) and C♯m (♭vii).
Where do you play the D♯ Locrian scale on guitar?
The root, D♯, is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 10–14, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as D♯ Locrian?
D♯ Locrian contains exactly the notes of E major, played from its seventh note, D♯.