C♯ Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from D major

PARENT FAMILY · D MAJ

All 7 modes share the same parent scale (D major). C♯ Locrian is the VII mode.

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	D Ionian	Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	E Dorian	Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	F♯ Phrygian	F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	G Lydian	Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	A Mixolydian	A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	B Aeolian	Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	C♯ Locrian	C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

C♯ D E F♯ G A B

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

The Locrian scale on C♯ contains the notes C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B. The pentatonic subset is C♯, E, F♯, G, B.

Characteristic note: the ♭5 (diminished fifth) makes it unstable and rarely used as a tonal center.

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

C♯m7♭5

II

Dmaj7

III

Em7

IV

F♯m7

V

Gmaj7

VI

A7

VII

Bm7

▸ Play C♯ Locrian over C♯m7♭5 and A7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

C♯ Locrian is a minor mode with a unstable, tense, dissonant character. It is the VII mode of D major — it uses the same 7 notes as D Ionian but is rooted on C♯, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is C♯m7♭5.

Where to use C♯ Locrian

Metal, jazz, used sparingly.

Famous examples

Half-diminished chord contexts
Metallica solos

What makes it distinctive: the ♭5 (diminished fifth) makes it unstable and rarely used as a tonal center.

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