Harmonic MajorDegree 7

Locrian ♭♭7

Pure darkness with the faintest grey edges. A cavern with no visible exit. the deepest, most enclosed sound in the harmonic major family.

Ask Coach
Scale NotesLocrian ♭♭7 in C
C
D♭
E♭
F
G♭
A♭
B♭♭
Interval Formula
1♭2♭34♭5♭6♭♭7
Primary Chord
The tonic chord built from this mode
Cdim7

Chord Tones

CD♯F♯A

All Diatonic Chords

Cdim7C♯m7D♯m7Fm7♭5F♯maj7G♯m(maj7)A♯♭maj7♯5
Chord Voicings
Guitar voicings for Cdim7
Cdim77Symmetric diminished voicing. Every note is a minor 3rd apart. Moveable in 3-fret increments.
Cdim75th-string-root diminished voicing. Also symmetric and moveable in minor 3rds.
Cdim75Root, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. Compact four-note dim7 on top strings.
Fretboard

Locrian ♭♭7 in C

123456789101112131415EADGBeFF♯G♯ACC♯D♯FF♯ACC♯D♯FF♯G♯ACD♯FF♯G♯ACC♯D♯FG♯ACC♯D♯FF♯G♯ACC♯D♯FF♯G♯ACC♯FF♯G♯ACC♯D♯FF♯
RootCharacteristic toneScale tone
Listen
Audio. Locrian ♭♭7 in C
Tempo:
180 BPM

Musical Context

Diatonic Context
Chords built from the D♭ harmonic major scale — click any chord for voicings
Where to Use Locrian ♭♭7
Primary Chord
Cdim7
Function
Leading Tone
Key Context
The vii° chord in D♭ harmonic major

Deeply diminished and nearly atonal.

Related Chord Voicings
Extensions, substitutions, and simplifications for Cdim7

Simplified Voicings

Example Progressions
Progressions where Locrian ♭♭7 applies (in C)
vii°
vii°: Cdim7

Sustained half-diminished chord for practicing Locrian or Locrian Natural 2.

Practice in Play Along →
VI⁺ → V → iv → vii°
VI⁺: B♭♭maj7♯5V: A♭7iv: G♭m(maj7)vii°: Cdim7

The Locrian ♭♭7 mode lives on the vii°7 chord.

Practice in Play Along →
Arpeggio Connection
The arpeggio that matches the Cdim7 chord
Diminished 7th
Cdim7
Tones
C
R
E♭
♭3
G♭
♭5
B♭♭
♭♭7
Highlighted = guide tones (define chord quality)

Sound

Deeply diminished and nearly atonal. The double-flat 7th pushes Locrian into its darkest possible form. Every interval is compressed and dark, creating a claustrophobic, maximally tense sound. Like Super Locrian ♭♭7 from harmonic minor, this is the bottom of the tonal well.

Practical Use Cases

  • ●Over diminished 7th chords in harmonic major contexts
  • ●Extreme tension and dissonance
  • ●Theoretical analysis and composition
  • ●Rare avant-garde applications

Practical Notes

The seventh mode of harmonic major. Like Super Locrian ♭♭7 from harmonic minor, the double-flat 7th (enharmonically a natural 6th) makes this extremely difficult to use in melodic improvisation. Over dim7 chords, the diminished scale (whole-half or half-whole) remains the standard practical choice. This mode differs from its harmonic minor counterpart (Super Locrian ♭♭7) by having a natural 4th instead of a ♭4, giving it a slightly less compressed quality in the middle of the scale. Primarily of theoretical interest for completing the harmonic major picture.

diminishedextremetheoreticalharmonic-major-familyadvanced

Practice Drills

Ascending & Descending in One PositionBeginnerTechnique
5 min

Play the mode ascending and descending within a single five-fret box. Build muscle memory and connect the sound to the shape.

Three-Notes-Per-String PatternsIntermediateTechnique
10 min

Play the mode using three notes on every string, stretching across the neck. Great for building legato technique and hearing the scale in a linear way.

Emphasize Characteristic Tones on Strong BeatsIntermediateImprovisation
10 min

Create short melodic phrases that land the mode's characteristic tone(s) on beats 1 and 3. This trains you to bring out the sound that defines the mode.

Improvise Over a Matching ChordBeginnerImprovisation
5 min

Play the mode's parent chord as a loop (or use a backing track) and improvise over it for two minutes. This connects the mode to its harmonic context.

Create 3 Licks Using Only Strings 1–3IntermediateImprovisation
10 min

Compose three short licks (2–4 beats each) using only the top three strings. This forces creativity within a constraint and builds upper-register vocabulary.

Resolve from Tension to StabilityIntermediateEar Training
8 min

Practice approaching chord tones from a half step above or below, training your ear to hear tension resolve.

Try Locrian ♭♭7 in Play Along

Practice improvising over real chord changes with guided scale and target note suggestions.

Related Modes

LocrianSuper Locrian ♭♭7Altered

Your Notes

Your Notes

No notes yet for Locrian ♭♭7.

Start capturing your observations.