C Bebop Locrian Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
C Bebop Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The C Bebop Locrian scale is a modern bebop variation designed for half-diminished chords. On Guitar, the notes are C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, G, Ab, Bb. It provides a chromatic bridge that helps musicians maintain rhythmic momentum while soloing over highly dissonant and difficult chord changes. Commonly used in Modern Jazz, Post-Bop, Fusion. Notable players include John Coltrane, Woody Shaw, Steve Coleman. Use over m7b5 chords. Maintains bebop rhythmic alignment in the most dissonant harmonic context.
Notes: C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, G, Ab, Bb
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 5P, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7 b8
Formula: H-W-W-H-H-H-W-W
Number of notes: 8
How to Play C Bebop Locrian on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 8 on the 6th (low E) to find your C root note. Because this scale has 8 notes, four-notes-per-string stretches may be necessary. Start with a single position and expand gradually. Keep your thumb centered behind the neck for reach.
The C Bebop Locrian scale contains 5 flats (Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the C Bebop Locrian scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (C-Eb, Db-F) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on C to let the characteristic intervals of the Bebop Locrian scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
Use hybrid picking (pick + fingers) when playing the C Bebop Locrian scale on guitar to access wider intervals and string skips that a pick alone cannot handle efficiently.
The C Bebop Locrian scale contains 8 notes (C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, G, Ab, Bb). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for C Bebop Locrian
The C Bebop Locrian scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 8-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore C Bebop Locrian Further
- Harmonize the C Bebop Locrian scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- C Bebop Locrian on Ukulele
- C Bebop Locrian on Bass
- C Bebop Locrian on Piano
Explore C Bebop Locrian in Other Tunings
- C Bebop Locrian in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- C Bebop Locrian in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- C Bebop Locrian in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- C Bebop Locrian in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- C Bebop Locrian in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- C Bebop Locrian in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- C Bebop Locrian in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- C Bebop Locrian in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- C Bebop Locrian in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- C Bebop Locrian in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- C Bebop Locrian in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- C Bebop Locrian in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- C Bebop Locrian in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- C Bebop Locrian in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)