STRINGSCALES

C locrian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, E at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12

A string: Bb, C, Db, E, F, Gb, Ab at frets 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11

D string: E, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db at frets 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

G string: Ab, Bb, C, Db, E, F, Gb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11

B string: C, Db, E, F, Gb, Ab, Bb at frets 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11

High E string: E, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, E at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12

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C locrian dominant

The locrian dominant scale, the fifth mode of the neapolitan minor scale, puts a major 3rd inside an otherwise locrian frame: flat 2nd, flat 5th, flat 6th, flat 7th. It spells a dominant 7th chord with b9, #11 and b13, so it works over heavily altered dominants where the plain altered scale's sharp 9 is not wanted.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

C

I

Cmaj♭5
D♭

bII

D♭maj
E

III

G♭7no5/E
F

iv

Fm
G♭

bV

G♭maj
A♭

bVI+

A♭aug
B♭

bvii

B♭m

Same notes, different mode

C locrian dominant uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

Db ionian major #2E ultralocrianF neapolitan minorGb lydian #6Ab mixolydian augmentedBb romani minor

locrian dominant in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Over a 7b9b13 chord with a #11 available, C locrian dominant supplies every alteration while keeping the plain major 3rd (E).
  • Anchor lines on III and bVII (Bb), the guide tones; the b2 (Db), b5 (Gb) and b6 (Ab) then read as controlled tension instead of wrong notes.
  • Resolve down a half step: the entire scale leans onto the chord one fret below.
  • Compare with the altered scale: this keeps a perfect 4th (F) and drops the #9, a subtly less angry dominant color.

How to play C locrian dominant on guitar

Both E strings land on the major third, and no open string gives the root or the fifth, so a pedal is off the table here. Roots sit close to the nut at fret 1 on the B string and fret 3 on the A, which lets you start low without a barre. Lowest root is fret 8 on the low E, and the E shape barres there. Four flats, and the bVI+ lands as Abaug.

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