D♯ Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from E major

PARENT FAMILY · E MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	E Ionian	Emaj7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7 – Amaj7 – B7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	F♯ Dorian	F♯m7 – G♯m7 – Amaj7 – B7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7♭5 – Emaj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	G♯ Phrygian	G♯m7 – Amaj7 – B7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7♭5 – Emaj7 – F♯m7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	A Lydian	Amaj7 – B7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7♭5 – Emaj7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	B Mixolydian	B7 – C♯m7 – D♯m7♭5 – Emaj7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7 – Amaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	C♯ Aeolian	C♯m7 – D♯m7♭5 – Emaj7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7 – Amaj7 – B7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	D♯ Locrian	D♯m7♭5 – Emaj7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7 – Amaj7 – B7 – C♯m7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B C♯

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

D♯m7♭5

II

Emaj7

III

F♯m7

IV

G♯m7

V

Amaj7

VI

B7

VII

C♯m7

▸ Play D♯ Locrian over D♯m7♭5 and B7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

UNSTABLE, TENSE, DISSONANT

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

Where to use D♯ 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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