Take a listen to this line...
This is the color that you get when you combine the locrian natural 9
with the half diminished - also known as the symmetric diminished - and in this video, we'll
explore how and when to use these scales for improvisation... "If you're new to mDecks Music, we
create music books and apps, piano arrangements, and we discuss: improvisation, songwriting and sometimes...
we take music theory to strange and uncharted places. So subscribe, and hit the bell, and join us
for exclusive access to our ever expanding library of music resources today..." Let's take a look at a
somewhat obscure scale, that not many people use. Or perhaps they do, but they're not really seeing
it for what it might be. The Locrian natural 9 is the 6th mode of Melodic Minor and, as we said
ad nauseam, the Melodic minor is an essential source scale to know for improvisation. The modes of the
melodic minor include: the Lydian b7, the Altered scale and of course, the Locrian
natural 9. All great scales for improvisation! There are many different ways to think about
the Locrian natural 9. For example: the most obvious one, is that it's the Locrian scale with
a natural 9. In Ab major we can play the Locrian scale by starting on the 7th degree (G)
and then just play an A natural, instead of an Ab. And you have the G Locrian natural 9 scale.
But for improvisation, the best perspective is to see it as the second mode of the Mixolydian b13
Just stay with me. I know this sounds crazy but it'll make sense when I'm done. The locrian natural 9
is perfect for a iim7b5 with a major target, like in the song "I love you"...
You can find these borrow chords the iim7b5 to a V7b9 to a Imaj7
in so many jazz tunes, like in this one, or in "Stella by Starlight", and so many others.
In this context, the iim7b5 to a V7b9 are chords borrowed from the minor mode.
When you hear Gm7b5 to C7b9, you expect them to resolve to an Fm chord.
But when you're using them in a major key, they
also work beautifully when they resolve to the Imaj7.
This 251 - with the 2-5 borrowed from the minor mode - is the perfect place to use the Locrian natural 9
on the iim7b5 chord and, as we'll see later, we can also combine it with the
Symmetric Diminished on the V7b9. So on this Gm7b5 to C7b9
to Fmaj7 you can play a G Locrian natural 9 to a C half diminished.
So, as I was saying it's better to think of the G Locrian natural 9 as the second mode of the
F Mixolydian b13. Actually, as a first approach, you can just think of it as the second mode of
some F scale. The important thing is that you're altering the F major scale into a mode that
fits the Gm7b5. So, when I want to improvise over this Gm7b5,
I think of the F major scale with a b13 (or b6) and a b7. That's the F mixo b13.
The cool thing about this scale, is that it contains the major 3rd of the target, implying
that we're in F. At the same time it contains the complete Gm7b5 chord inside of it. But
most importantly, it avoids the E natural, which is an essential note to omit, since it's the 3rd of
our next chord - the C7b9. This rule, of the ii chord not containing the 3rd of the
following V chord, is actually quite essential when it comes to tonal harmony. Having this note present
in the ii chord, introduces two problems: 1) It gives the F (in our case) nowhere to go and, we're
robbed of that half step resolution down to the E. and 2) Having the E present in the ii chord, also
creates a tritone against the Bb, which gives this subdominant chord a more dominant quality.
Both of these problems undermine the typical tension release path that tonal harmony
is predicated on. The whole purpose of the C7b9 is to resolve the F in the Gm7b5
to the E. This will also create a tritone (E to Bb) within the C7b9 that offers
all the qualities of a dominant chord, that then wants to resolve to Fmaj7. So, the G
Locrian natural 9 offers: The entire Gm7b5 - the chord we're playing over.
The A natural - the major third of our target. And omits the E - an essential note to avoid.
And using our perspective, we can see it as an F Mixolydian b13, or if you want, as an F major
with a b6 and a b7. Now, on the C7b9 we can use the Symmetric Diminished (or
Half Diminished scale.) We've shown how this scale is great for dominants that target a major chord -
exactly as in our song. So, if we keep the same perspective we can look at the C Half Diminished
as related to the G Locrian natural 9, and therefore, also the F major scale. And the only
thing we have to do is split the F - our tonic - into an E and an F#, and we get C Half Diminished.
Using this perspective, we can see how the C Half Diminished replaces the F note in the G Locrian
natural 9, into two approached tones that both target F: The leading tone (E) - our essential note in
C7b9, and an F# (a chromatic approach from above to F.) This is a great way
of relating these scales, and at the end of the day, we're in F major. So it might be a better
approach to look at everything from the F major perspective. Now we can play something like this...
I suggest you practice these skills by doing the following: Play the F major scale...
Then transform it into the G Locrian natural 9,
keeping the F perspective, by simply changing the D to a Db and the eEto an Eb.
If you want, you can see it as F mixo b13. That's completely fine too!
Then, transform the G Locrian natural 9 into the C Half Diminished (or Symmetric Diminished)
by replacing the F with an E and an F#. Just remember, this scale is an 8-note scale.
Thanks again for joining us. We have pdf materials on today's topic to help you
understand it better, and thoroughly work it out, if you're an exclusive member. If
not, just click on the join button, or click on the included link. Thanks for watching