The darkest, most dissonant of all 7 modes. The only mode with a tritone above the root. Used in jazz as the ii chord, in metal for extreme dissonance, and in film scores for villain themes and horror.
Locrian is the only diatonic mode where the tonic chord is half-diminished (m7b5) with no perfect fifth. This makes it inherently unstable and incapable of true resolution, which is the point.
The most common practical use: Bm7b5 is the ii of A minor in a minor ii-V-i (Bm7b5 - E7 - Am7). This is how Locrian appears in jazz, neo-soul, and R&B every single day.
The b2 (half-step) and b5 (tritone, the "devil's interval") are the two most dissonant intervals in music. Film composers and metal musicians use them intentionally for dread and extreme tension.
| Degree | Interval | B Locrian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | B |
| b2 | Minor 2nd | C (Locrian signature) |
| b3 | Minor 3rd | D |
| 4 | Perfect 4th | E |
| b5 | Tritone | F (tritone) |
| b6 | Minor 6th | G |
| b7 | Minor 7th | A |
Both b2 and b5 are highlighted. The b5 (tritone) is unique to Locrian among all 7 modes and is the primary source of its instability.
| Root | 1 | b2 | b3 | 4 | b5 | b6 | b7 | Camelot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | B | C | D | E | F | G | A | 11A |
| F#/Gb | F# | G | A | B | C | D | E | 6A |
| C#/Db | C# | D | E | F# | G | A | B | 1A |
| G#/Ab | G# | A | B | C# | D | E | F# | 8A |
| D#/Eb | D# | E | F# | G# | A | B | C# | 3A |
| A#/Bb | A# | B | C# | D# | E | F# | G# | 10A |
| E#/F | E# | F# | G# | A# | B | C# | D# | 5A |
| E | E | F | G | A | Bb | C | D | 4A |
| A | A | Bb | C | D | Eb | F | G | 11A |
| D | D | Eb | F | G | Ab | Bb | C | 7A |
| G | G | Ab | Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | 6A |
| C | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | Ab | Bb | 5A |
Orange = b2 (the half-step Locrian signature). Red = b5 (tritone, the devil's interval).
Every chord built from Locrian scale tones. The im7b5 tonic chord is what makes Locrian uniquely unstable.
| Numeral | Quality | Chord (B Locrian) |
|---|---|---|
| i | half-dim 7 | Bm7b5 |
| bII | major 7 | Cmaj7 |
| bIII | minor 7 | Dm7 |
| iv | minor 7 | Em7 |
| bV | major 7 | Fmaj7 |
| bVI | major 7 | Gmaj7 |
| bVII | minor 7 | Am7 |
Every other mode has a perfect fifth above the root (a stable interval). Locrian's b5 removes this stability. The tonic chord Bm7b5 has no anchor, no resolution. This is intentional: Locrian is used when you want the home chord itself to feel unstable and dark.
In practice, Locrian music often "resolves" to the bII chord (Cmaj7 in B Locrian) rather than the i. The bII is a half-step above the root and is the most stable chord in the mode. Think of the i-bII movement as the Locrian version of tension-to-release: never quite home, but briefly resting.
The signature Locrian movement. Let the Bm7b5 breathe - do not resolve it. The Cmaj7 is not a resolution but a momentary stable landing before falling back. Used in film scores and dark ambient.
The primary jazz use of Locrian. Bm7b5 is the ii of A minor. This ii-V-i in minor is everywhere in jazz from bebop to neo-soul. Use this pattern and you are using B Locrian for the ii chord.
The tritone relationship (B to F is exactly 6 semitones, a diminished fifth). This is the "diabolus in musica" interval, historically associated with evil and used heavily in metal. The bV chord (Fmaj7 in B Locrian) is the tritone sub of the tonic.
A slower four-bar loop that stays in Locrian without ever resolving. The bII (Cmaj7) acts as the brightest point in the loop, giving a brief moment of light before sinking back into darkness. Works well for film score, dark electronic, or progressive sections.
| Feature | Locrian | Natural Minor | Dorian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Half-diminished (m7b5) | Minor (natural) | Minor (with major 6th) |
| Tonic chord | im7b5 (half-dim) | im7 (minor 7) | im7 (minor 7) |
| 2nd degree | b2 (half-step) | b2... no: 2 (whole) | 2 (whole step) |
| 5th degree | b5 (tritone) | 5 (perfect 5th) | 5 (perfect 5th) |
| 6th degree | b6 | b6 | 6 (major - the difference) |
| Stability | Highly unstable (no perfect 5th) | Stable | Stable with brightness |
| Dominant V chord | Diminished (no function) | Minor v or major V (harmonic) | Minor v (mild tension) |
| Primary use | ii chord in minor, extreme tension | General minor, emotional depth | Funky, soulful minor, hip-hop |
The relentless industrial groove uses Locrian-adjacent harmony to create the suffocating, coercive feel. The tritone tension is central to the track's aggressive character.
Thom Yorke uses Locrian passages within the chromatic harmonic world of the song to create unsettled, dreamlike tension. The half-diminished feel mirrors the song's lyrical themes of mortality.
Heavy metal uses the tritone and b2 of Locrian for extreme dissonance. The scale is rarely spelled out fully but the characteristic half-step and tritone intervals define the riff's evil character.
Jazz composers use the half-diminished chord (Bm7b5) as ii in minor ii-V-i progressions. This is THE primary jazz application of Locrian - as the ii chord in a minor key cadence.
Film composers use Locrian-adjacent harmonies for villain themes and horror cues. The half-diminished tonic chord and tritone b5 create a sense of instability and dread with no resolution.
Bebop and post-bop jazz frequently use the half-diminished (Locrian) chord as a gateway between tonal centers. The ii7b5 (m7b5) chord is Locrian spelled as a chord, and it appears constantly in jazz.
| Genre | Usage |
|---|---|
| Jazz | ii7b5 in minor ii-V-i cadences |
| Heavy Metal | Dissonant riffs, villain themes, extreme tension |
| Film Score | Horror cues, villain motifs, unstable scenes |
| Progressive Rock | Atonal passages, tension sections, complexity |
| Electronic/Dark | Industrial, dark ambient, tension loops |
| Theory/Composition | Modal harmony study, half-dim voice leading |
The most common practical use. A m7b5 chord (Bm7b5 in C minor) is spelled in B Locrian. In a minor ii-V-i: Bm7b5 - E7 - Am7. This is the gateway to Locrian for jazz and neo-soul producers.
Locrian's defining feature is that the tonic chord is unstable (half-diminished). Use this intentionally: play the i chord and let it hang unresolved. The tension is the point. Use bII (Cmaj7 in B Locrian) as the de-facto resolution point instead.
The b2 (half-step) and b5 (tritone) are the two most dissonant intervals. Use them in film score and metal contexts: start on the root, move down a half-step (b2), then jump to the tritone (b5). This three-note motif creates instant menace.
If you're analyzing a sample and the "home" chord sounds like a m7b5 (hollow, unresolved, dark), the sample is likely in a Locrian or Locrian-adjacent tonality. Use Chord Finder to detect the tonic chord, then use this chart to identify the mode.
The most recognizable Locrian pattern: alternating between the i (Bm7b5) and bII (Cmaj7). This creates a haunting, unresolved loop. Used in film score and dark electronic to sustain tension without releasing it. The bII is a half-step above the tonic (the b2 relationship).
Pure Locrian rarely resolves cleanly because the V chord is also diminished (no dominant function). Locrian Dominant (also called Lydian b7 or Bartok scale) adds a major 3rd to the b5 Locrian structure, giving you a usable dominant chord. Use this when you want Locrian darkness with more harmonic flexibility.
Detect your sample's key, look up its Locrian scale notes, then identify whether you are hearing a ii7b5 chord or a full Locrian tonal center. Three free tools, one workflow.
Detect the key of your sample or track with BeatKey
Find the Locrian scale notes from the chart above
Use Scale Visualizer to see it on piano and confirm the Locrian tension
The Locrian scale is Mode 7 of the major scale with the formula 1, b2, b3, 4, b5, b6, b7. It is the only mode with a tritone (diminished fifth) above the root, making its tonic chord a half-diminished m7b5. B Locrian uses all white keys (B, C, D, E, F, G, A) and is Mode 7 of C major.
B Locrian contains: B, C, D, E, F, G, A. The b2 (C natural) is one half-step above B, and the b5 (F natural) is a tritone above B. These two intervals create the characteristic Locrian dissonance. B Locrian is the natural form since it uses all 7 white keys on the piano.
Yes, but almost never as a full tonal center. The primary use is as the ii chord in minor ii-V-i progressions in jazz (Bm7b5 is the ii of A minor). In metal and film scores, Locrian intervals (b2 and b5) create extreme dissonance in riffs and villain themes. Full Locrian as a tonal center is rare and reserved for atonal or avant-garde contexts.
The most usable Locrian movement is i-bII (e.g., Bm7b5 to Cmaj7), which creates a haunting, unresolved loop. In jazz, Locrian appears as the ii7b5 chord in a minor ii-V-i: Bm7b5 - E7 - Am7. Full Locrian progressions are rare because the tonic chord (im7b5) has no stable dominant function to resolve to.