Scale
C♯ Locrian Scale
Interactive keyboard
Highlighted notes form this scale.
Notes
C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A · B
Root: C♯
Intervals
1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7
How it is built
This scale starts on C♯ and applies the intervals 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7. The result contains 7 distinct pitch classes per octave.
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Guide and musical context
About C♯ Locrian Scale
C♯ Locrian Scale uses the notes C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B. Its character is highly unstable because it combines a flat second and diminished fifth.
Character and sound
Highly unstable because it combines a flat second and diminished fifth.
Musical context and history
Modern Locrian is the seventh mode of the major scale and the only diatonic mode with a diminished fifth above the tonic. That feature makes conventional tonal rest difficult.
How and where it is used
It is mainly used as a modal color, over half-diminished chords and in jazz, metal and theory exercises.
In Theory view you can hear the pitch collection without depending on a specific fingering. Then switch to Piano, Guitar, Ukulele or Mandolin to see how the same notes are physically distributed on each instrument.
Harmonic and musical relationships
This scale can be understood as a mode of the D major scale: it contains the same notes, but C♯ acts as the tonal center. Changing the center changes how the same pitches are perceived.
The formula on this page is 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7 and, from C♯, produces the notes C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A · B.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the C♯ Locrian Scale?
The notes are C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · ♭6 · ♭7.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Highly unstable because it combines a flat second and diminished fifth. It is mainly used as a modal color, over half-diminished chords and in jazz, metal and theory exercises.
Can I view it on a specific instrument?
Yes. Use the selector near the top to switch between Piano, Guitar, Ukulele and Mandolin without changing the musical combination you are studying.