Locrian Mode

7th Mode of Major · H–W–W–H–W–W–W

The seventh mode of the major scale — the only mode with a diminished tonic chord, making it the most unstable and dissonant of all seven modes. Locrian is rare in tonal music but appears in metal, progressive jazz, and experimental composition.

View C Locrian

FormulaH–W–W–H–W–W–W

Scale degrees1–♭2–♭3–4–♭5–♭6–♭7

Characteristic noteDiminished 5th (♭5) — no other mode has a flatted fifth

SoundUnstable, dissonant, dark, unresolved

Common inMetal, progressive jazz, experimental, film scoring

Famous exampleArmy of Me — Björk (B Locrian)

The cool grays and steel palette on this page is inspired by music-color synesthesia — a neurological phenomenon where people perceive colors when hearing music. Synesthetes commonly associate Locrian mode with cool grays and steel, reflecting its unstable and unresolved tension.

About the Locrian Mode

The C Locrian mode is the seventh mode of the Db Major scale. It has a diminished quality with flatted second and fifth degrees, the most dissonant of the seven modes.

Why Locrian is unique

It is the only mode where the tonic chord is diminished — meaning there is no stable home base. Compared to Phrygian, Locrian lowers just one additional note: the 5th. That single change destroys the perfect fifth of the tonic triad, making Locrian unable to establish a traditional tonal centre. Its primary practical use in jazz is over half-diminished (m7♭5) chords.

About the Locrian Mode

Locrian mode begins on the seventh degree of the major scale and is the most unusual of all seven modes. Its tonic triad is diminished — both the third and the fifth are flatted — making it tonally unstable and rarely used as a primary key center. Locrian creates extreme tension and dissonance that rarely resolves in traditional ways.