Guitar scale · altered diminished
C# Ultralocrian Scale
Mode 7 of Harmonic Minor: Locrian with a doubly flattened 7th (𝄫7). Every note except the root is lowered, and it holds every tone of a diminished 7th chord.
Tap any note to hear it.
C# Ultralocrian Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------------------9-10-12-13-| B|-----------------------------------10-11------------| G|---------------------------9-10-12------------------| D|---------------------11-12--------------------------| A|------------10-12-13--------------------------------| E|-9-10-12-13-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------14-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|----------------11-12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------12-13-------------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-17-| B|----------------------------------14-15-17----------| G|----------------------------14-15-------------------| D|-------------------14-15-17-------------------------| A|----------13-16-17----------------------------------| E|-13-15-17-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-18-| B|----------------------------------17-18-20-------| G|----------------------------18-19----------------| D|-------------------17-19-20----------------------| A|-------16-17-19-20-------------------------------| E|-17-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-21-22-| B|-------------------------------------20-22----------| G|-------------------------18-19-21-22----------------| D|-------------------19-20----------------------------| A|----------19-20-22----------------------------------| E|-18-21-22-------------------------------------------|
How to play C# Ultralocrian on guitar
Find the root first: C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C# on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, ♭5, 𝄫7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 9–13. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C# |
| ♭2 | D |
| ♭3 | E |
| ♭4 | F |
| ♭5 | G |
| ♭6 | A |
| 𝄫7 | Bb |
Chords in C# Ultralocrian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C# Ultralocrian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | C#dim | C#dim7 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Dm | Dm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♭iii° | Edim | Em7b5 | Mediant |
| ♭IV+ | Faug | Fmaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭v | Gm | Gm7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | A | A7 | Submediant |
| VII | Bb | Bbmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C# Ultralocrian anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the C# Ultralocrian Scale?
- The C# Ultralocrian Scale has 7 notes: C#, D, E, F, G, A, Bb.
- What chords are in the C# Ultralocrian Scale?
- The chords of C# Ultralocrian are C#dim (i°), Dm (♭ii), Edim (♭iii°), Faug (♭IV+), Gm (♭v), A (♭VI), Bb (VII).
- What is the formula of the ultralocrian scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 𝄫7, which is the step pattern H W H W W H W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C# Ultralocrian on the guitar?
- The root C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 9–13, and four more positions connect it up the neck.