Locrian Mode/Scale: Interactive Piano & Guitar Reference with Chords

🎨 A visual piano and guitar reference to the Locrian mode (aka Locrian scale), which is the 7th mode of the major scale. The Locrian mode is created from the major scale by flattening the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th scale degrees. The Locrian mode is diminished-sounding and sounds unresolved and strange.

This reference includes the notes and chords on the piano keyboard for each Locrian scale.

Locrian mode formula:
1 - b2 - b3 - 4 - b5 - b6 - b7

Locrian Mode: Reference Table

First, a reference table for the Locrian mode/scale for all the keys. The keys are in order of 5ths, as with the circle of fifths. This illustrates the close relationship between keys that are a 5th distance apart.

i°	II	iii	iv	V	VI	vii	i°
C	D♭	E♭	F	G♭	A♭	B♭	C
G	A♭	B♭	C	D♭	E♭	F	G
D	E♭	F	G	A♭	B♭	C	D
A	B♭	C	D	E♭	F	G	A
E	F	G	A	B♭	C	D	E
B	C	D	E	F	G	A	B
F♯	G	A	B	C	D	E	F♯
D♭	E♭♭	F♭	G♭	A♭♭	B♭♭	C♭	D♭
A♭	B♭♭	C♭	D♭	E♭♭	F♭	G♭	A♭
E♭	F♭	G♭	A♭	B♭♭	C♭	D♭	E♭
B♭	C♭	D♭	E♭	F♭	G♭	A♭	B♭
F	G♭	A♭	B♭	C♭	D♭	E♭	F

Locrian Mode on Guitar

Here you can visualize the different keys of the Locrian mode on the guitar fretboard. You can highlight the notes in each of the locrian scales using the CAGED or the Three Notes Per String (TNPS) systems.

Select a Key:

Scale:

Tuning:

show:

highlight:

box:

Locrian Mode on Piano

And now for each of the keys/scales in more detail. Tip: click the lock icon to trigger the chords of that key using buttons 1 through 7 on your keyboard.

C Locrian

notes: C D_♭ E_♭ F G_♭ A_♭ B_♭

relative key: D_♭ major

C
D_♭
E_♭
F
G_♭
A_♭
B_♭
C

chords in the key of C Locrian

D Locrian

notes: D E_♭ F G A_♭ B_♭ C

relative key: E_♭ major

D
E_♭
F
G
A_♭
B_♭
C
D

chords in the key of D Locrian

E Locrian

notes: E F G A B_♭ C D

relative key: F major

E
F
G
A
B_♭
C
D
E

chords in the key of E Locrian

F Locrian

notes: F G_♭ A_♭ B_♭ C_♭ D_♭ E_♭

relative key: F^♯ major

F
G_♭
A_♭
B_♭
B
D_♭
E_♭
F

chords in the key of F Locrian

G Locrian

notes: G A_♭ B_♭ C D_♭ E_♭ F

relative key: G^♯ major

G
A_♭
B_♭
C
D_♭
E_♭
F
G

chords in the key of G Locrian

A Locrian

notes: A B_♭ C D E_♭ F G

relative key: A^♯ major

A
B_♭
C
D
E_♭
F
G
A

chords in the key of A Locrian

B Locrian

notes: B C D E F G A

relative key: C major

chords in the key of B Locrian

C♯ / D♭ Locrian

C^♯ Locrian: C^♯ D E F^♯ G A B

D_♭ Locrian: D_♭ E_♭_♭ F_♭ G_♭ A_♭_♭ B_♭_♭ C_♭

relative key: D major

C^♯
D
E
F^♯
G
A
B
C^♯

chords in the key of C^♯ Locrian

D♯ / E♭ Locrian

D^♯ Locrian: D^♯ E F^♯ G^♯ A B C^♯

E_♭ Locrian: E_♭ F_♭ G_♭ A_♭ B_♭_♭ C_♭ D_♭

relative key: E major

D^♯
E
F^♯
G^♯
A
B
C^♯
D^♯

chords in the key of D^♯ Locrian

F♯ / G♭ Locrian

F^♯ Locrian: F^♯ G A B C D E

G_♭ Locrian: G_♭ A_♭_♭ B_♭_♭ C_♭ D_♭_♭ E_♭_♭ F_♭

relative key: G major

F^♯
G
A
B
C
D
E
F^♯

chords in the key of F^♯ Locrian

G♯ / A♭ Locrian

G^♯ Locrian: G^♯ A B C^♯ D E F^♯

A_♭ Locrian: A_♭ B_♭_♭ C_♭ D_♭ E_♭_♭ F_♭ G_♭

relative key: A major

G^♯
A
B
C^♯
D
E
F^♯
G^♯

chords in the key of G^♯ Locrian

A♯ / B♭ Locrian

A^♯ Locrian: A^♯ B C^♯ D^♯ E F^♯ G^♯

B_♭ Locrian: B_♭ C_♭ D_♭ E_♭ F_♭ G_♭ A_♭

relative key: B major

A^♯
B
C^♯
D^♯
E
F^♯
G^♯
A^♯

chords in the key of A^♯ Locrian

Piano Samples

The piano samples used for this locrian scale reference are from “Salamander Grand Piano V3” by Alexander Holm, licensed under CC BY 3.0.

C D E F G A B C^♯ D^♯ F^♯ G^♯ A^♯