In terms of chords and melody, Canon in D - Variation in Locrian has complexity on par with the typical song, having near-average scores in Melodic Complexity, Chord-Melody Tension and Chord-Bass Melody and below-average scores in Chord Complexity and Chord Progression Novelty.
Canon in D - Variation in Locrian is written in the key of D Locrian. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 2nd most popular key among Locrian keys and the 73rd most popular among all keys. The D Locrian scale is similar to the D Minor scale except that both the 2nd and the 5th notes (E♭ and A♭) are a half step lower. This means that the characteristic "home base" chord of D Locrian has a dissonant diminished quality (d˚), which makes it a very uncommon choice for songs. See the D Locrian Cheat Sheet for popular chords, chord progressions, downloadable midi files and more!