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Tomus

Mode reference

Locrian mode

The minor scale with a flattened second and a flattened fifth · C Locrian = C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭

Locrian is the seventh mode of the major scale, which means C Locrian uses the notes of D♭ major but treats C as home. The table below keeps that relationship on every root: the same step pattern, started somewhere new.

The flattened fifth means the tonic triad is diminished, so there is no stable home chord. Almost never used as a key centre; it turns up as a passing sound over a half-diminished chord.

C Locrian

  1. C1
    semi
  2. D♭2
    tone
  3. E♭3
    tone
  4. F4
    semi
  5. G♭5
    tone
  6. A♭6
    tone
  7. B♭7
    tone
  8. C8
C Locrian, with the step between each pair of degrees. T is a tone, S a semitone.
CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C
C Locrian ascending, with each accidental written on its note.
CDEFGABCD♭E♭G♭A♭B♭
C Locrian on the keyboard, from C up to C. The tonic is the darker key.

Every degree

DegreeNoteInterval from the tonicSemitones
1CUnison0
2D♭Minor second1
3E♭Minor third3
4FPerfect fourth5
5G♭Diminished fifth6
6A♭Minor sixth8
7B♭Minor seventh10

Hear what makes it Locrian

The explorer marks the flattened second and fifth — the note that separates Locrian from natural minor on the same tonic. Flip between the two and play each; that one note is the whole difference.

Locrian on every root

Each row is the same step pattern started somewhere new. The last column is the major scale that contains the same notes — useful when you want to find the mode by thinking in a key you already know.

TonicNotesSame notes as
CC – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭D♭ major
D♭D♭ – E𝄫 – F♭ – G♭ – A𝄫 – B𝄫 – C♭E𝄫 major
DD – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – CE♭ major
E♭E♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B𝄫 – C♭ – D♭F♭ major
EE – F – G – A – B♭ – C – DF major
FF – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭G♭ major
F♯F♯ – G – A – B – C – D – EG major
GG – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – FA♭ major
A♭A♭ – B𝄫 – C♭ – D♭ – E𝄫 – F♭ – G♭B𝄫 major
AA – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – GB♭ major
B♭B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭C♭ major
BB – C – D – E – F – G – AC major

Hearing it rather than spelling it

A mode is only a mode while the music keeps treating its tonic as home. Played over a D♭ bass, C Locrian is just D♭ major. Played over a C drone, the flattened second and fifth — what sets it apart from C natural minor — become unmistakable. That is why modal writing tends to stay on one chord for a long time.

Keep going

Nearby modes

All seven modes

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