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C♯ locrian dominant Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E#, F#, G, A, B, C#, D at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10

A string: A, B, C#, D, E#, F#, G, A at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12

D string: D, E#, F#, G, A, B, C#, D at frets 0, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

G string: G, A, B, C#, D, E#, F#, G at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12

B string: B, C#, D, E#, F#, G, A, B at frets 0, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12

High E string: E#, F#, G, A, B, C#, D at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10

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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

C#maj♭5
D

bII

Dmaj
E♯

III

G7no5/E♯
F♯

iv

F♯m
G

bV

Gmaj
A

bVI+

Aaug
B

bvii

Bm

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.

D ionian major #2E# ultralocrianF# neapolitan minorG lydian #6A mixolydian augmentedB 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 (F).
  • Anchor lines on III and bVII (B), the guide tones; the b2 (D), b5 (G) and b6 (A) 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

Four open strings belong, the B string sitting on the flat seventh, so use them as passing colour rather than a pedal. Capo at fret 1 and the whole key reads in C, which means your open shapes come back intact. Low E fret 9 carries the deepest root in the key. Three sharps, and the iv chord lands as F#m.

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