Chord Colors

D♯ Locrian scale

About the D sharp Locrian scale

D sharp 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 D Phrygian with the fifth lowered.

Its notes are D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. The formula is H W W H W W W. It is the seventh mode of E Major.

Learn more about the D♯ Locrian scale

D Locrian uses four black keys on the piano, D, F, G, and C.

Chords in the key of D sharp Locrian

Expand a chord to see how to play it.

D sharp diminished
Position 2 of 3

D sharp diminished over F sharp (1st inversion)

II E
Position 2 of 3

E over G sharp (1st inversion)

iii F sharp minor
Position 2 of 3

F sharp minor over A (1st inversion)

iv G sharp minor
Position 2 of 3

G sharp minor over B (1st inversion)

V A
Position 2 of 3

A over C sharp (1st inversion)

VI B
Position 2 of 3

B over D sharp (1st inversion)

vii C sharp minor
Position 2 of 3

C sharp minor over E (1st inversion)

Seventh chords in D sharp Locrian

The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.

D sharp minor seven flat five

D sharp minor seven flat five

II E major seven

E major seven

iii F sharp minor seven

F sharp minor seven

iv G sharp minor seven

G sharp minor seven

V A major seven

A major seven

VI B seven

B seven

vii C sharp minor seven

C sharp minor seven

Progressions in D sharp Locrian

Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.

Common

Notes and intervals

1D#D♯Root
2EEMinor 2nd
3F#F♯Minor 3rd
4G#G♯Perfect 4th
5AADiminished 5th
6BBMinor 6th
7C#C♯Minor 7th
StepsH W W H W W W
Semitones1-2-2-1-2-2-2
Degrees1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Fingering

Suggested fingering, follows standard fingering rules

Hand D sharpEF sharpG sharpABC sharpD sharp
Right hand41231234
Left hand21432132

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Locrian in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

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Eb Locrian scale on piano shown as colored note dots
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