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Piano scale

C♯ Locrian Mode

The C♯ Locrian Mode has 7 notes: C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B.

  1. C♯
    1
  2. D
    2
  3. E
    3
  4. F♯
    4
  5. G
    5
  6. A
    6
  7. B
    7

Notes of the C♯ Locrian Mode

DegreeNotesIntervalsFormula
1C♯Root1
2DMinor 2nd♭2
3EMinor 3rd♭3
4F♯Perfect 4th4
5GDiminished 5th♭5
6AMinor 6th♭6
7BMinor 7th♭7

Step pattern

H – W – W – H – W – W – W

From the root to the octave the scale moves in this pattern: H – W – W – H – W – W – W.

W = whole step (2 semitones), H = half step (1 semitone), W+H = 3 semitones

Sound and character

The most dissonant mode — a diminished 5th built right into the scale. Unstable by design. Rarely used melodically, but beloved in heavy metal.

Sound: Dissonant & extreme

Chords in the C♯ Locrian Mode

Stack every other note of the scale on each degree to get its chords.

DegreeTriads7th chords
i°C♯dimC♯m7♭5
IIDDmaj7
iiiEmEm7
ivF♯mF♯m7
VGGmaj7
VIAA7
viiBmBm7

How to use it

Mostly used over a half-diminished (m7♭5) chord, for example the ii chord of a minor ii–V–i in jazz.

C♯ Locrian Mode uses the same notes as the D Major scale, starting from a different note.

Songs that use it

  • YYZ · Rush
    Progressive Rock
  • Army of Darkness Theme · Joseph LoDuca
    Film Score
  • Seek & Destroy · Metallica
    Metal

Play the C♯ Locrian Mode with different sounds in the interactive builder.

Open in the chord builder

Practising on an acoustic piano that sounds off?

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