C# Locrian 6 Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 7-string tuning — fretboard diagram
C# Locrian 6 in 7-string — Notes and Intervals
The C# Locrian 6 scale is a rare and dissonant mode that adds a major sixth sparkle to a dark Locrian base. On Guitar, its notes are C#, D, E, F#, G, A#, B. It provides a unique modal variation for experimental compositions and is used to create a sense of distorted major tonality. Commonly used in Experimental, Jazz, Avant-Garde. Notable players include Allan Holdsworth, Steve Coleman. Use over diminished and half-diminished chords in experimental contexts. A modal exploration tool rather than a standard jazz choice.
Notes: C#, D, E, F#, G, A#, B
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Formula: H-W-W-H-WH-H-W
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: 7-string (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
Also known as: locrian natural 6, locrian sharp 6
About 7-string Tuning
The 7-string guitar adds a low B string below the standard 6-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E), extending the instrument's range into bass territory. This extra low end has become essential in progressive metal, djent, and modern heavy music, enabling crushing low-end riffs while maintaining access to standard guitar voicings on the upper strings.
Pioneered by jazz guitarist George Van Eps and later brought into the metal mainstream by Steve Vai and Korn, the 7-string guitar has become a staple of modern heavy music. Players like Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, and John Petrucci have pushed the instrument's capabilities into new territory, using the extended range for complex harmonic progressions, polyrhythmic riffs, and sweeping arpeggios that span an enormous tonal range.
Notable artists: Dream Theater, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Korn, Meshuggah
Best for: Progressive metal riffs, extended-range chord voicings, djent rhythms, and jazz fusion harmony
Musical Character
Adds a major 6th sparkle to the otherwise dark Locrian mode — a contradiction that creates a uniquely unsettled, 'glitchy' quality.