Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Scale
D Locrian Mode
Unstable, dark and suspended. With both a flat second and a diminished fifth, its tonic chord never sounds truly at rest.
- 7 notes
- 3 ♭
- mode
1Composition: what it contains
D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C
- Formula
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
- Steps
- H – W – W – H – W – W – W
- Number of notes
- 7
- Sharps and flats
- 3 ♭
- Also called
- seventh mode of the major scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | unison | 0 | tonic |
| ♭2 | E♭ | minor second | 1 | supertonic |
| ♭3 | F | minor third | 3 | mediant |
| 4 | G | perfect fourth | 5 | subdominant |
| ♭5 | A♭ | diminished fifth | 6 | dominant |
| ♭6 | B♭ | minor sixth | 8 | submediant |
| ♭7 | C | minor seventh | 10 | subtonic |
2Appearance: diagrams and sound
Tip: click any note, key or fret to hear it. Orange = root.
3Indications: what it is used for
Mainly a scale for half-diminished (m7♭5) chords: the ii chord in a minor ii–V–i, the vii chord of a major key, and passing m7♭5 chords in jazz standards. It is the seventh mode of the major scale. Some extreme metal and experimental music builds whole riffs on it for an unsettling, dissonant effect. In jazz, many players prefer Locrian ♮2 (the sixth mode of melodic minor) on the same chord because the natural ninth sounds smoother.
4Dosage: how to practise it
Six to eight minutes daily. Play an m7♭5 arpeggio, then the full scale, at 60–80 BPM so the ear connects scale and chord. Practise a minor ii–V–i loop: Locrian on the m7♭5 chord, phrygian dominant or altered on the V7, then a minor scale on the i chord. Use sequences of four and diatonic thirds. On guitar, learn the pattern starting on both the sixth and fifth strings. On piano, voice the chord as 1-♭3-♭5-♭7 in the left hand while the right hand plays the mode.
5Warnings and common mistakes
Do not try to use it as a tonic scale in ordinary pop or rock songs: the diminished fifth on the tonic makes cadences sound unfinished. The flat second over an m7♭5 chord is the avoid note; treat it as a passing tone, or use the natural second instead (Locrian ♮2). Do not confuse it with the half-whole diminished scale, which has eight notes. Remember the diminished fifth is spelled as a fifth (♭5), not as an augmented fourth.
6Interactions with chords, scales and keys
Chords of the scale (triads)
| Degree | Chord | Notes | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Ddim | D – F – A♭ | |
| ♭II | E♭ | E♭ – G – B♭ | |
| ♭iii | Fm | F – A♭ – C | |
| iv | Gm | G – B♭ – D | |
| ♭V | A♭ | A♭ – C – E♭ | |
| ♭VI | B♭ | B♭ – D – F | |
| ♭vii | Cm | C – E♭ – G |
Chords of the scale (seventh chords)
| Degree | Chord | Notes | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| iø7 | Dm7♭5 | D – F – A♭ – C | |
| ♭IImaj7 | E♭maj7 | E♭ – G – B♭ – D | |
| ♭iii7 | Fm7 | F – A♭ – C – E♭ | |
| iv7 | Gm7 | G – B♭ – D – F | |
| ♭Vmaj7 | A♭maj7 | A♭ – C – E♭ – G | |
| ♭VI7 | B♭7 | B♭ – D – F – A♭ | |
| ♭vii7 | Cm7 | C – E♭ – G – B♭ |
Same notes, different starting point
7Other presentations available
The same scale from every note
- C Locrian Mode
- C sharp Locrian Mode
- D sharp Locrian Mode
- E Locrian Mode
- F Locrian Mode
- F sharp Locrian Mode
- G Locrian Mode
- G sharp Locrian Mode
- A Locrian Mode
- A sharp Locrian Mode
- B Locrian Mode
Other scales from the same note
- D Major Scale
- D Natural Minor Scale
- D Harmonic Minor Scale
- D Melodic Minor Scale
- D Dorian Mode
- D Phrygian Mode
- D Lydian Mode
- D Mixolydian Mode
- D Major Pentatonic Scale
- D Minor Pentatonic Scale
- D Blues Scale
- D Major Blues Scale
- D Whole Tone Scale
- D Half-Whole Diminished Scale
- D Whole-Half Diminished Scale
- D Phrygian Dominant Scale
- D Hungarian Minor Scale
- D Lydian Dominant Scale
- D Altered Scale
- D Double Harmonic Major Scale
- D Bebop Dominant Scale
Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.