The C Locrian is the 7th mode of the C Major scale. It has a extremely dark, unstable, dissonant, restless tension character. On guitar it appears at Position 7 in the fretboard pattern — root note C.
Parent Major ScaleC Major — C Locrian shares the same notes as C Major but starts on C
Best Used InMetal, Death Metal, Avant-Garde Jazz, Film Horror Scores
Famous ExamplesYYZ (Rush intro), death metal, extreme jazz tension
Key insight: The ♭5 (diminished fifth) is Locrian's defining feature — it makes the tonic chord half-diminished, always wanting to resolve.
The 5 Missing Notes™ — Beyond C Locrian
The C Locrian is one of 7 diatonic modes in the Dead Sea Scales system. Using the 5 Missing Notes™ framework, each mode generates 7 extended variations — giving you access to all 42 total modes in any key including C.
Same Mode, Every Key
The Locrian pattern is identical in every key — the formula never changes. Explore the same mode in other keys:
Home: C Locrian is minor territory — Aeolian with a ♭2 and ♭5. Start here. Address: 7th mode of D♭ Ionian — the 5 Missing Notes are read from D♭, not C. Home vs Address →