Locrian scale · 7 notes
D Locrian scale on guitar
The D Locrian scale has 7 notes: D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭ and C. The unstable mode: ♭2 and ♭5 make its root chord diminished.
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 10. 9th position: frets 9–13.
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 3 flats (E♭, A♭ and B♭). Compared with D minor, it has E♭ (♭2) instead of E and A♭ (♭5) instead of A.
| 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 · A♭Dm7♭5
- ♭IIE♭E♭ · G · B♭E♭maj7
- ♭iiiFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- ivGmG · B♭ · DGm7
- ♭VA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭maj7
- ♭VIB♭B♭ · D · FB♭7
- ♭viiCmC · E♭ · GCm7
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) | 10 |
| B (2nd) | 3 |
| G (3rd) | 7 |
| D (4th) | 0, 12 |
| A (5th) | 5 |
| Low E (6th) | 10 |
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 3 flats (E♭, A♭ and B♭).
What chords are in D Locrian?
Harmonising the D Locrian scale in thirds gives D° (i°), E♭ (♭II), Fm (♭iii), Gm (iv), A♭ (♭V), B♭ (♭VI) and Cm (♭vii).
Where do you play the D Locrian scale on guitar?
The root, D, is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 9–13, 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.