C# Locrian Major Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in DADGAD tuning — fretboard diagram
C# Locrian Major in DADGAD — Notes and Intervals
The C# Locrian Major scale is a 20th-century hybrid that combines the stability of a major third with the dissonance of a Locrian base. On Guitar, it contains the notes C#, D#, F, F#, G, A, B. It was used by experimental composers to create a sound that is both familiar and alien. Commonly used in Experimental, Contemporary Classical, Avant-Garde. Notable players include Bela Bartok, Gyorgy Ligeti. Use in experimental composition over polytonal or atonal passages. A tool for creating cognitive dissonance.
Notes: C#, D#, F, F#, G, A, B
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: W-W-H-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: DADGAD (D-A-D-G-A-D)
Also known as: arabian
About DADGAD Tuning
DADGAD tuning creates an open Dsus4 chord when strummed open, producing a hauntingly beautiful, droning sound that has become synonymous with Celtic folk music and modern acoustic songwriting. The tuning's natural resonance and overtones make even simple fingerpicking patterns sound rich and complex.
Popularized by Davey Graham in the 1960s and later championed by Pierre Bensusan and Jimmy Page, DADGAD has become one of the most beloved alternate tunings for acoustic guitarists. Its suspended quality — neither clearly major nor minor — creates an ethereal, meditative atmosphere that invites exploration. The tuning excels at creating drone-based arrangements where open strings ring against fretted notes.
Notable artists: Pierre Bensusan, Jimmy Page, Andy McKee, Davey Graham, Laurence Juber
Best for: Celtic folk, acoustic songwriting, drone-based fingerpicking, and meditative compositions
Musical Character
A major 3rd within a Locrian framework — the contradiction creates a sound that is both familiar (major) and alien (b2, b5) simultaneously.