C Locrian

C Locrian scale for guitar.
The C Locrian is a seven-note scale, it is also called a mode. Colored circles in the diagram mark the notes in the scale (darker color highlighting the root notes). In the fretboard pattern, the first root note is on the 6th string, 8th fret.

C Locrian 2 octaves

C Locrian scale diagram

C Locrian full fretboard

C Locrian scale whole guitar neck diagram

C Locrian note names

C Locrian scale with note letters diagram
Notes: C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb Intervals: 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 Type: Septonic

The scale displayed with its numeric formula, notes, intervals and scale degrees.

Formula Notes Intervals Degrees
1 C Unison Tonic
b2 Db Minor second Supertonic
b3 Eb Minor third Mediant
4 F Perfect fourth Subdominant
b5 Gb Diminished fifth Dominant
b6 Ab Minor sixth Submediant
b7 Bb Minor seventh Subtonic

The C Locrian scale consists of seven notes. These can be described as steps on the guitar fingerboard according to the following formula: half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole from the first note to the same in the next octave.
The C Locrian is a mode of the Db Major Scale. It contains exactly the same notes, but starts on another note.

This scale is primarily used in jazz and is rare in popular music.
The easiest way to learn this scale is to think of it as the Db Major starting on its seventh note.

Chords that are related to this scale are the following:

Cdim, Cm7b5
Db, Dbmaj7, Db6, Db6/9, Dbmaj9, Dbmaj13
Ebm, Ebm7, Ebm6, Ebm9, Ebm11, Ebm13
Fm, Fm7
Gb, Gbmaj7, Gb6, Gb6/9, Gbmaj9, Gbmaj13
Ab, Ab7, Ab6, Ab6/9, Ab9, Ab11, Ab13
Bbm, Bbm7, Bbm9, Bbm11

The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the C Locrian scale.

Related to Locrian are Locrian ♮2 and Locrian #6, being the 4th mode of the Melodic Minor and the 2nd mode of the Harmonic Minor.

The C Locrian ♮2 scale, also called C Half-diminished scale, is identical with the C Locrian except for a major second instead of a minor second which is indicated by the natural symbol. It can be displayed as follows:

Formula Notes Intervals Degrees
1 C Unison Tonic
2 D Major second Supertonic
b3 Eb Minor third Mediant
4 F Perfect fourth Subdominant
b5 Gb Diminished fifth Dominant
b6 Ab Minor sixth Submediant
b7 Bb Minor seventh Subtonic

The C Locrian ♮2 contains the same notes as the Eb Melodic Minor Scale, but starts on another note.

The C Locrian #6 scale is identical with the C Locrian except for a major sixth instead of a minor sixth which is indicated by the sharp symbol in the name. It can be displayed as follows:

Formula Notes Intervals Degrees
1 C Unison Tonic
b2 Db Minor second Supertonic
b3 Eb Minor third Mediant
4 F Perfect fourth Subdominant
b5 Gb Diminished fifth Dominant
6 A Major sixth Submediant
b7 Bb Minor seventh Subtonic

The C Locrian #6 contains the same notes as the Bb Harmonic Minor Scale, but starts on another note.

Start the audio and play along! Use notes from the scale in the diagram above.*

Normal tempo:
Slow tempo:

Go to Jam Tracks section for more guitar jam tracks!

* In reality, Locrian scales are seldom used throughout a whole song.