Common
About the C Locrian scale
C Locrian is used for jazz soloing over half-diminished chords and tense, dissonant passages. Think of it as the most unstable mode of all, restless and unresolved. It is C Phrygian with the fifth lowered.
Its notes are C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, and B♭. The formula is H W W H W W W. It is the seventh mode of D♭ Major.
C Locrian draws five black keys from the piano, D♭, E♭, G♭, A♭, and B♭.
Chords in the key of C Locrian
Expand a chord to see how to play it.
Position 2 of 3
C diminished over E flat (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
D flat over F (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
E flat minor over G flat (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
F minor over A flat (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
G flat over B flat (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
A flat over C (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
B flat minor over D flat (1st inversion)
Seventh chords in C Locrian
The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.
C minor seven flat five
D flat major seven
E flat minor seven
F minor seven
G flat major seven
A flat seven
B flat minor seven
Progressions in C Locrian
Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | CC | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | DbD♭ | Minor 2nd |
| 3 | EbE♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | FF | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | GbG♭ | Diminished 5th |
| 6 | AbA♭ | Minor 6th |
| 7 | BbB♭ | Minor 7th |
| Steps | H W W H W W W |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 1-2-2-1-2-2-2 |
| Degrees | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 |
Fingering
Suggested fingering, follows standard fingering rules
| Hand | C | D flat | E flat | F | G flat | A flat | B flat | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Locrian in other keys
D flat Locrian scaleD Locrian scaleE flat Locrian scaleE Locrian scaleF Locrian scaleG flat Locrian scaleG Locrian scaleA flat Locrian scaleA Locrian scaleB flat Locrian scaleB Locrian scale
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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