ArpeggiosEN

Scale

A locrian ♮6

Harmonic minor modes

Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7
Notes
A B♭ C D E♭ F♯ G

Notation

441♭2♭34♭56♭71

Fretboard — frets 0–24

A locrian ♮6 — frets 0 to 24, 87 notes, roots in orange6♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭5♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭56♭74♭56♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭341♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭56♭716♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭50123456789101112131415161718192021222324
A locrian ♮6 — frets 0 to 24, 87 notes, roots in orange6♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭5♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭56♭74♭56♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭341♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭56♭716♭71♭2♭34♭56♭71♭2♭34♭50123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Degrees

DegreeNoteIntervalSemitonesRole
1Aperfect unison0The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves.
♭2B♭minor second1The minor second — a half-step above the root and the sharpest tension in the box; phrygian and the altered scale lean on it.
♭3Cminor third3The minor third — the dark counterpart of the major third; it turns a shape minor and colours m, m7 and the minor scales.
4Dperfect fourth5The perfect fourth — stable yet suspended; in sus4 it takes the third's place and leaves the chord hanging.
♭5E♭diminished fifth6The diminished fifth — a flattened fifth that destabilises the chord; dim, m7♭5 and locrian are built on it.
6F♯major sixth9The major sixth — the hopeful note that separates dorian and m6 from their darker cousins; it sits a whole step above the fifth.
♭7Gminor seventh10The minor seventh — the dominant's engine; a whole step under the root, it turns a triad into a 7 chord and drives the resolution.

About this scale

Locrian natural six is the second degree of harmonic minor: the unstable locrian shape with a raised sixth that softens the darkness. The flat second and flat fifth remain, but the natural sixth removes the harshest edge and gives the scale a warm, bittersweet quality. It is the sound of the m7♭5 chord when the harmony wants to move smoothly, and the standard scale for the ii chord in a minor ii–V–i where the natural sixth avoids the augmented interval. Jazz players use it over half-diminished chords that resolve to a dominant. Listen for the sixth brightening the flat fifth's gloom.

How to practise this scale

  • Play the natural sixth and hear it soften the flat fifth.
  • Improvise over an m7♭5 chord that resolves through a minor ii–V.
  • Compare it with locrian and hear what the raised sixth changes.
  • Play the scale slowly and listen for the absence of the augmented second.