C# Locrian Mandolin Scale
Mandolin scale in Standard tuning — fretboard diagram
C# Locrian in Standard — Notes and Intervals
The C# Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Mandolin, the notes are C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B. 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 C# Locrian are C#m7b5, DMaj7, Em7, F#m7, GMaj7, A7, Bm7. 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: C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B
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: Standard (E-A-D-G)
Diatonic Chords
C♯m7♭5 — DMaj7 — Em7 — F♯m7 — GMaj7 — A7 — Bm7