D# Locrian Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in Open C tuning — fretboard diagram
D# Locrian in Open C — Notes and Intervals
The D# Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Guitar, the notes are D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#. It sounds highly dissonant and unresolved, as its home chord is a diminished triad. While rare as a primary key, it is a crucial technical tool for jazz musicians improvising over half-diminished chords in tension-heavy passages. The diatonic chords of D# Locrian are D#m7b5, EMaj7, F#m7, G#m7, AMaj7, B7, C#m7. Commonly used in Jazz, Metal, Experimental, Avant-Garde. Notable players include John Coltrane, Meshuggah, Dream Theater. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz ii-V-i in minor keys where the ii chord is half-diminished.
Notes: D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: H-W-W-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)
Diatonic Chords
D♯m7♭5 — EMaj7 — F♯m7 — G♯m7 — AMaj7 — B7 — C♯m7
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- D# Locrian in Standard Tuning
- D# Locrian in Drop D
- D# Locrian in DADGAD
- D# Locrian in Open G
- D# Locrian in Baritone (B Standard)
- D# Locrian in 7-string
- D# Locrian in 8-string
- D# Locrian in Drop C
- D# Locrian in Drop B
- D# Locrian in Open D
- D# Locrian in Half Step Down
- D# Locrian in Open E
- D# Locrian in Open A
- D# Locrian in Double Drop D