D Locrian

Unstable, tense, dissonant — built from D♯ major

PARENT FAMILY · D♯ MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	D♯ Ionian	D♯maj7 – Fm7 – Gm7 – G♯maj7 – A♯7 – Cm7 – Dm7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	F Dorian	Fm7 – Gm7 – A♭maj7 – B♭7 – Cm7 – Dm7♭5 – E♭maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	G Phrygian	Gm7 – G♯maj7 – A♯7 – Cm7 – Dm7♭5 – D♯maj7 – Fm7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	G♯ Lydian	G♯maj7 – A♯7 – Cm7 – Dm7♭5 – D♯maj7 – Fm7 – Gm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	A♯ Mixolydian	A♯7 – Cm7 – Dm7♭5 – D♯maj7 – Fm7 – Gm7 – G♯maj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	C Aeolian	Cm7 – Dm7♭5 – D♯maj7 – Fm7 – Gm7 – G♯maj7 – A♯7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	D Locrian	Dm7♭5 – D♯maj7 – Fm7 – Gm7 – G♯maj7 – A♯7 – Cm7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

D D♯ F G G♯ A♯ C

Formula: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Dm7♭5

II

D♯maj7

III

Fm7

IV

Gm7

V

G♯maj7

VI

A♯7

VII

Cm7

▸ Play D Locrian over Dm7♭5 and A♯7 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 D♯ major — it uses the same 7 notes as D♯ Ionian but is rooted on D, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Dm7♭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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