D# Locrian Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagram
D# Locrian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The D# Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Ukulele, 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
Diatonic Chords
D♯m7♭5 — EMaj7 — F♯m7 — G♯m7 — AMaj7 — B7 — C♯m7
How to Play D# Locrian on Ukulele
On ukulele, find D# on the fret 2 area, and 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 D# Locrian scale contains 4 sharps (D#, F#, G#, C#). Its relative major is F# major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the D# Locrian scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (D#-F#, E-G#) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Try these progressions with the D# Locrian scale: D#m7b5 - G#m7 - AMaj7 - D#m7b5 (I-IV-V-I) or D#m7b5 - EMaj7 - G#m7 - AMaj7 for a more stepwise movement.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the D# 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 D# Locrian scale contains 7 notes (D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for D# Locrian
The D# 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 D# Locrian Further
- Harmonize the D# Locrian scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- D# Locrian on Guitar
- D# Locrian on Bass
- D# Locrian on Piano