C Bebop Locrian Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
What chords fit over C Bebop Locrian?
Open C Bebop Locrian HarmonizerC Bebop Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The C Bebop Locrian scale is a modern bebop variation designed for half-diminished chords. On Ukulele, 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
Musical Character
A chromatic bridge added to the Locrian mode for maintaining rhythmic momentum over half-diminished chords — the most challenging bebop scale.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Modern Jazz, Post-Bop, Fusion
Notable players: John Coltrane, Woody Shaw, Steve Coleman
How to Use the C Bebop Locrian Scale
Use over m7b5 chords. Maintains bebop rhythmic alignment in the most dissonant harmonic context.
Origin & Background
A modern bebop extension for navigating half-diminished chord changes with the same fluidity as standard bebop scales.
How to Play C Bebop Locrian on Ukulele
On ukulele, find C on the open strings or work through the scale within a four-fret span. You may need to shift positions once to cover all 8 notes. Practice each position separately before linking them together.
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 100 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. This scale is especially effective in modern jazz contexts.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the C Bebop Locrian scale easy to visualize in a single position. Use this to your advantage by memorizing the scale shape relative to chord shapes you already know. Aim for a complex quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
Bebop Locrian is the Locrian with added chromatic passing tone. View C Locrian scale
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 Ukulele 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 Guitar
- C Bebop Locrian on Bass
- C Bebop Locrian on Piano