The Locrian mode is historically not one of the said to be "true" church modes like Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian and Mixolydian, and was possibly created by theorists to fill a gap that was created while reshaping the older, modal musical system into the more modern equal tempered system. Combining these four modes with the Ionian and it's relative minor, the Aeolian mode, six modes where then available. Well, there are seven different pitches in the major scale / Ionian mode, and although banned for centuries by some of the local authorities, the Ionian modes emergence at the center of equal temper not only signaled a breaking of tradition and a newly emerging consciousness for mankind but also a new and vast resource to explore. The name of this 7th mode? Locrian.
So why is this mode important? Not generally used as a tonal center as with the other modes, perhaps due to the absence of a perfect fifth above the root, the Locrian modes cool contribution to our tonal world is to diatonically create the "minor seventh flat five" harmony. This distinct minor color creates the total "yearning / longing" feel within either the major or minor tonal environment, it is potentially such an essential and unique color within the system and the emerging jazz artist. Lets compare the pitches, arpeggio and create this important chord. Example 1.
| B Locrian scale | B Locrian arpeggio | B minor 7 b5 |
Also commonly known as the "half diminished chord", this Locrian chord is used many ways in American jazz and pop music. Rare in folk, rock and blues, the half diminished chord is oftentimes viewed as the upper part of a dominant 9th chord, a popular blues chordal color. In the following idea we create the common Two / Five / One motion in the minor tonal environment based on the Aeolian / relative minor mode, thus our two chord is diatonically half diminished. Example 2.
| B min 7b5 | E 7 | A min 7 | % |
Click Locrian mode to explore this color further and explore the tonal convergence section for more ideas with the half diminished color.
| Where to next? | ||||
|
The heir to the kingdom is taught that he may become a king in reality by first governing his own appetites. Plato
