C Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from C♯ major

PARENT FAMILY · C♯ MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	C♯ Ionian	C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	D♯ Dorian	D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	F Phrygian	Fm7 – G♭maj7 – A♭7 – B♭m7 – Cm7♭5 – D♭maj7 – E♭m7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	F♯ Lydian	F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	G♯ Mixolydian	G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	A♯ Aeolian	A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	C Locrian	Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

C C♯ D♯ F F♯ G♯ A♯

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Cm7♭5

II

C♯maj7

III

D♯m7

IV

Fm7

V

F♯maj7

VI

G♯7

VII

A♯m7

▸ Play C Locrian over Cm7♭5 and G♯7 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 C♯ major — it uses the same 7 notes as C♯ Ionian but is rooted on C, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Cm7♭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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