C Locrian Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagram
C Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The C Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Ukulele, the notes are C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb. 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 Cm7b5, DbMaj7, Ebm7, Fm7, GbMaj7, Ab7, Bbm7. 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, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb
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
Diatonic Chords
Cm7♭5 — D♭Maj7 — E♭m7 — Fm7 — G♭Maj7 — A♭7 — B♭m7
How to Play C 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 7 notes. Practice each position separately before linking them together.
The C Locrian scale contains 5 flats (Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb). Its relative major is Eb major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the C Locrian scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
Try these progressions with the C Locrian scale: Cm7b5 - Fm7 - GbMaj7 - Cm7b5 (I-IV-V-I) or Cm7b5 - DbMaj7 - Fm7 - GbMaj7 for a more stepwise movement.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the C 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.
The C Locrian scale contains 7 notes (C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for C Locrian
The C 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 7-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 Locrian Further
- Harmonize the C Locrian scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- C Locrian on Guitar
- C Locrian on Bass
- C Locrian on Piano