D# Locrian Pentatonic Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 8-string tuning — fretboard diagram
D# Locrian Pentatonic in 8-string — Notes and Intervals
The D# Locrian Pentatonic scale is an unstable and mysterious scale used to evoke tension and ambiguity. On Guitar, its notes are D#, F#, G#, A, C#. It is often found in experimental music and certain Indian Ragas, providing a dissonant, outside sound that is perfect for dark, avant-garde, or high-tension compositions. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Experimental, Progressive. Notable players include John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz solos over ii chords in minor ii-V-i progressions.
Notes: D#, F#, G#, A, C#
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4P, 5d, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5
Formula: WH-W-H-4-W
Number of notes: 5
Tuning: 8-string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
Also known as: minor seven flat five pentatonic
About 8-string Tuning
The 8-string guitar adds both a low B and a low F# string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E), pushing the instrument's range almost into bass guitar territory. This massive tonal range has become the weapon of choice for djent, progressive metal, and experimental composers who need bone-crushing low-end and soaring highs in a single instrument.
With artists like Tosin Abasi, Meshuggah, and After the Burial leading the charge, the 8-string guitar has redefined what's possible in modern heavy music. The low F# string delivers subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest, while the upper strings maintain standard guitar voicings for leads and clean passages. Extended-range compositions often exploit the full span of the instrument, creating a wall of sound that covers bass, rhythm, and lead guitar roles simultaneously.
Notable artists: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, After the Burial, Intervals, Monuments
Best for: Djent polyrhythms, extended-range metal riffs, experimental compositions, and one-instrument arrangements spanning bass to lead
Musical Character
The darkest pentatonic — contains the b5 that defines the Locrian sound. Excellent for outlining m7b5 chords in jazz with minimal notes.
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in Standard Tuning
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in Drop D
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in DADGAD
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in Open G
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in Baritone (B Standard)
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in 7-string
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in Drop C
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in Drop B
- D# Locrian Pentatonic in Open D