Guitar scale · Locrian mode
C Locrian Scale
The most unstable mode. Contains a diminished 5th (♭5) for sinister metal riffs.
Tap any note to hear it.
C Locrian Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|------------------------------------8-9-11-| B|-------------------------------9-11--------| G|-----------------------8-10-11-------------| D|---------------8-10-11---------------------| A|--------8-9-11-----------------------------| E|-8-9-11------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|----------------------------------11-13-14----------| G|-------------------------10-11-13-------------------| D|----------------10-11-13----------------------------| A|----------11-13-------------------------------------| E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-16-| B|----------------------------------13-14-16----------| G|----------------------------13-15-------------------| D|-------------------13-15-16-------------------------| A|----------13-15-16----------------------------------| E|-13-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-| B|----------------------------------16-18-19-------| G|-------------------------15-17-18----------------| D|----------------15-16-18-------------------------| A|-------15-16-18----------------------------------| E|-16-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-20-21-| B|----------------------------------18-19-21----------| G|-------------------------17-18-20-------------------| D|-------------------18-20----------------------------| A|----------18-20-21----------------------------------| E|-18-20-21-------------------------------------------|
How to play C Locrian on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, ♭5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 8–12. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
C Locrian uses exactly the same notes as Db major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. On the guitar those are the same frets as C# major, the name it is listed under here. See the C# Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C |
| ♭2 | Db |
| ♭3 | Eb |
| 4 | F |
| ♭5 | Gb |
| ♭6 | Ab |
| ♭7 | Bb |
Chords in C Locrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C Locrian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Cdim | Cm7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | Db | Dbmaj7 | Supertonic |
| ♭iii | Ebm | Ebm7 | Mediant |
| iv | Fm | Fm7 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | Gb | Gbmaj7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | Ab | Ab7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Bbm | Bbm7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C Locrian anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the C Locrian Scale?
- The C Locrian Scale has 7 notes: C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb.
- What chords are in the C Locrian Scale?
- The chords of C Locrian are Cdim (i°), Db (♭II), Ebm (♭iii), Fm (iv), Gb (♭V), Ab (♭VI), Bbm (♭vii).
- What is the formula of the locrian scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W W H W W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C Locrian on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.