Piano Improvisation with Rosa

Locrian and Aeloian scales and Minor ii dim7 – V7 – i  Progressions

Aeloian scale –– also known as pure minor or natural inor scale — cosists of the ascending pattern:

— WHWWHWW

Aeloian scale: A B C D E F G A  (in C scale)

The aeloian scale — 6th mode in the major scale family and contains the same notes as the major scale down a mjaor 6th (or up a minor 3rd).

Aeloian scale — may be thought of as a dorian scale with the 6th notes lowered a half step.

Like the doiran scale — this scale may be used to improvse over minor triads, minor7th chords, minor 9th chords or minor 11th chords.

Since aeloian mode contains a minor 6th degree , it is not tpically used to color a minor 6th chord (which contains a major 6th)

Aeolian scale suonds best when

— used over a minor chord functioning as a tonic chord  ( “i” in a mnior key)

–or as a submediant chord (vi in a major key).

Dorian mode is usually the preferrd choice when the minoir chord is functioning as a supertonic chord ( “ii” in a major key) or when used in modal compositions.

The aeolian mode may also be used in a modal context.

Every note in the aeolian scale works well over the minor 7th chord with the exception of the b6th which has a tendency to resolve down a half step tot he 5th.

The 2nd and 4th scale degress possess the riches color in relationship to the minor chord.

Locrian scale — consists of the ascending pattern:

HWWHWWW

Locrian scale is the 7th mode in the major scale family and contains the same notes as the major scale a minor 2nd above.

B C D E F G A B  (in C scale)

The locrian scale is the lest stable mode in the major scale modal family cuz of the interval of a dim 5th between the 1st and 5th notes in the scale.

The locrian scale is used when improvising over the half-dim chor, which may be thougth of as a minor 7th chod with a flatted 5th.

— Bm7b5 or B-7b5  or B dim7

For 11th:

Bm11(b5) or B-11(b5) or B dim 11 (b5)

The half-dim 7th chord consists of a root, minor 3rd a dim 5th and a m7th.

The lowered 2nd of the locrian scale or (b9th) is not typically considered to be a usable chord extension but the 11th is frequently added.

Occasionally a  major 9th is added to the half dim chord but this note is derived form a mode of the melodic minor family called the locrian #2 scale.

Half diminished chord is usually used as a supertonic (ii dim7) chord in a minor ii-V-i progression,

although it may also occur as a leading-tone (viidim7) chord in a major key or a secondary leading tone chord.

In a minor iidim7 – V – i  progression, the V chord is altered by adding a #9th or a b9th, and often a #5th or a b5th as well.

The preferred scale choice for improvising over an altered V7 chord is a mode of th melodic minor family called the altered scale.

Bdim7 –  E7(+9,+5)  – Am

Keyboard skills: play minor iidim7 — V7b9 — i

D dim7 —  G7b9  —  Cm

C dimu — F7b9   —  Bbm

Bbdim7  —  Eb7b9 —  Abm

G#dim7  —  C#7b9 —  F#m

F#dim7 —  B7b9 — Em

Edim7 —  A7b9  — Dm

Ebdim7 — Ab7b9 —  Dbm

C#dim7 — F#7b9 — Bm

Bdim7 — E7b9 —  Am

Adimu — D7b9 — Gm

Gdim7  — C7b9 — Fm

Fdim7 — Bb7b9 — Ebm