Locrian scale
Locrian: the seventh mode of the major pattern, with a lowered second and fifth and a diminished tonic triad that resists being a home. Notes in all twelve keys, with piano and guitar diagrams.
On C
- Formula
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
- Steps
- H W W H W W W
- Notes
- 7
What it sounds like
Locrian follows the pattern half, whole, half, whole, half, whole, whole. Its lowered second sits directly above the tonic, and its lowered fifth removes the perfect fifth from the tonic triad. Relative to the major pattern, the second, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh are all lowered. Its tonic chord is diminished, so the root has no stable fifth to support it. The tonic therefore sounds unsettled, and the scale feels restless rather than resolved. That instability is the scale's defining feature.
Where you hear it
Locrian is used mainly in jazz, where it is the standard mode for half-diminished chords, written m7♭5, especially when they appear as ii chords in minor progressions. Improvisers often use Locrian natural two, which raises the second, over the same chord. Outside jazz it appears in theory exercises and occasionally as a dark, unstable color in metal and modern classical music. It is rarely a sustained tonal center in common-practice music.
How it is built
Locrian is the seventh mode of the major pattern, the rotation that starts on B. On C, its pitches are C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭, the same notes as D♭ major, so C Locrian is the seventh mode of D♭ major. Its diatonic triads on C are C diminished, D♭ major, E♭ minor, F minor, G♭ major, A♭ major, and B♭ minor. The tonic chord is Cm7♭5, with a diminished triad and a minor seventh. Locrian differs from Phrygian only in the fifth degree, which it lowers.
How to practise it
Play B Locrian on the white keys, B C D E F G A B, against a drone on B. Sing the diminished triad, then sing the Bm7♭5 chord, and hear how the tonic stays unsettled. Improvise over a Bm7♭5 vamp for one chorus, aiming at D, the chord's third. Then try Locrian natural two, which raises the second to C♯, and compare the two sounds.
Locrian scale in every key
Each scale below is spelled by letter name, so every letter appears once where the scale has seven notes. Click a name for its full page.
| Key | Notes | Hear it |
|---|---|---|
| C | C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ | |
| C♯ | C♯ D E F♯ G A B | |
| D | D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C | |
| E♭ | E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭♭ C♭ D♭ | |
| E | E F G A B♭ C D | |
| F | F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ | |
| F♯ | F♯ G A B C D E | |
| G | G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F | |
| G♯ | G♯ A B C♯ D E F♯ | |
| A | A B♭ C D E♭ F G | |
| B♭ | B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ | |
| B | B C D E F G A |
Further reading
- Church Modes From Dorian to Locrian: A Practical GuideFundamentals · 7 min
- Chord-Scale Theory Explained: Which Scale Fits Which ChordJazz & Popular Harmony · 7 min
Questions
What is Locrian used for?
Locrian is mostly used in jazz over half-diminished seventh chords, where its lowered fifth matches the chord's flat fifth. Locrian natural two, which raises the second, is a common variant for the same chord. Outside jazz, it mostly appears in theory exercises and as a dark, unstable color. It is rarely a home key.
Why is Locrian considered unstable?
Its tonic triad is diminished, with a diminished fifth in place of a perfect fifth. Without a perfect fifth above the root, the tonic lacks the consonant support that makes other modes feel settled. The lowered second also sits against the root. Together these features make it hard to sustain as a home.
What is the difference between Locrian and Phrygian?
Locrian lowers the fifth degree, while Phrygian keeps a perfect fifth. On C, Phrygian is C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ and Locrian is C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭. That single change turns a minor mode with a perfect fifth into one whose tonic triad is diminished.