C Locrian Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in Drop D tuning — fretboard diagram
C Locrian in Drop D — Notes and Intervals
The C Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Guitar, 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
Tuning: Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-E)
Diatonic Chords
Cm7♭5 — D♭Maj7 — E♭m7 — Fm7 — G♭Maj7 — A♭7 — B♭m7
About Drop D Tuning
Drop D tuning lowers the 6th string from E to D, giving you instant access to heavy power chords with a single finger. This deceptively simple change opens up a world of heavier riffs, deeper bass notes, and new chord voicings that are impossible in standard tuning. The low D string creates a powerful foundation for rhythm playing while keeping the rest of the fretboard familiar.
Drop D is one of the most versatile alternate tunings in modern music. From the crunchy riffs of grunge and alternative rock to the thunderous breakdowns of metal, this tuning has shaped the sound of countless iconic songs. It's also surprisingly useful for fingerpicking and acoustic arrangements where you need a deep bass drone.
Notable artists: Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Killswitch Engage
Best for: Power chords, heavy riffs, drop-tuned metal rhythm, and acoustic arrangements with a deep bass drone
Musical Character
The only mode with a diminished 5th (b5) from the root, making its home chord a diminished triad. This instability means Locrian is almost never used as a key center — it is a tool for tension.