Mode

Locrian Mode

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.

Each key below opens the full reference entry — keyboard diagram, audio, fingerings, and notation.

At the keyboard

C · Db · Eb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb

View C Locrian

Formula: H–W–W–H–W–W–W

Scale degrees: 1–♭2–♭3–4–♭5–♭6–♭7

Characteristic note: Diminished 5th (♭5) — no other mode has a flatted fifth

Sound: Unstable, dissonant, dark, unresolved

Common in: Metal, progressive jazz, experimental, film scoring

Famous example: Army of Me — Björk (B Locrian)

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 center. 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.

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.

Musical Characteristics

Diminished quality — flatted 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th
Deeply unstable and dissonant — the tonic chord is diminished
Rarely used as a stable tonal center
Works over half-diminished (ø7) chords

Common Uses

Jazz: improvising over the ii∅7 chord in minor ii–V–i
Metal and experimental music for extreme tension
Horror and suspense film scores
Brief unstable passages in jazz compositions

Common Chord Progressions

Half-diminished ii

iø7 – V7 – i

Locrian vamp

iø – ♭II

Dark tension

iø7 – ♭VIImaj7

Famous Examples in Music

"Army of Me" — Björk
Many jazz "rhythm changes" bridge sections
Experimental passages in Björk, Radiohead
Horror film underscore passages

How Locrian Relates to the Major Scale

Mode

Key

C Locrian uses the same notes as C♯ Major

Relative modes — all share the same notes

C♯ Ionian=E♭ Dorian=F Phrygian=F♯ Lydian=A♭ Mixolydian=B♭ Aeolian=C Locrian

Browse by key

All 18 spellings, ♯ and ♭ keys listed separately.

Locrian in All 18 Keys

C LocrianNotes: C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭C♯ LocrianNotes: C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A – BD♭ LocrianNotes: D♭ – E♭♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭♭ – B♭♭ – C♭D LocrianNotes: D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – CD♯ LocrianNotes: D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯E♭ LocrianNotes: E♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B♭♭ – C♭ – D♭E LocrianNotes: E – F – G – A – B♭ – C – DF LocrianNotes: F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭F♯ LocrianNotes: F♯ – G – A – B – C – D – EG♭ LocrianNotes: G♭ – A♭♭ – B♭♭ – C♭ – D♭♭ – E♭♭ – F♭G LocrianNotes: G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – FG♯ LocrianNotes: G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯A♭ LocrianNotes: A♭ – B♭♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭♭ – F♭ – G♭A LocrianNotes: A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – GA♯ LocrianNotes: A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯B♭ LocrianNotes: B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭B LocrianNotes: B – C – D – E – F – G – AC♭ LocrianNotes: C♭ – D♭♭ – E♭♭ – F♭ – G♭♭ – A♭♭ – B♭♭

Want the full theory? How all seven modes relate, the bright-to-dark spectrum, characteristic notes, and practice strategies.Read the Modes Guide ›