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For example: A, A#, C, D, D#, F#, G ? Is it an actual known scale? I hear it implied a lot, played over secondary dominants (such as over the transition from the VI to the II in a I-VI-ii-V-I or I-VI-II-V-I cadence)

Aaron
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William T Smith
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3 Answers3

7

The degrees in the title are correct, the notes in the post are not: the second degree should be B♭, not A#, and the fifth should be E♭ instead of D#.

In any case, it's the scale built on the second degree of G harmonic minor, and it's commonly known as Locrian 13 (or Locrian 6), since it's based on the seventh degree of its relative major, B♭.

degree:                I     II   III    IV    V     VI   VII   (I)
G Harm. min (Eolian):  G     A     B♭    C     D     E♭    F#
                             |     |     |     |     |     |
A Locrian 13:                A     B♭    C     D     E♭    F#    G
degree:               (VII)  I     II   III    IV    V     VI   VII

It's also interesting to notice that it is a mode based on one of the only four common scales that have both flats and sharps, along with D harmonic/melodic minor and G melodic minor scales, since their relative major key's fifth grade is not altered.

musicamante
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  • Typical naming convention in such case is "locrian ♮6", so it's clear 6 is natural. Some other people write "locrian #6", but I think it's because they don't know how to write natural symbol; I find it unclear and ambiguous. – user1079505 Mar 03 '21 at 23:58
  • Normally – at least in jazz theory – ionian scale is the reference, the same as the scale in question would be written 1 b2 b3 4 b5 6 b7. There is some discrepancy with classical theory which speaks of "major 6th" rather than "natural 6th"... but modes, especially modes of harmonic minor seem to be explored more in jazz. Anyway, by writing "locrian 6" you follow none of the conventions I mentioned. – user1079505 Mar 04 '21 at 00:34
  • @user1079505 (sorry, I removed the previous comment after some thinking) I've to say, I've always been a bit confused about namings based on non-natural minor scales (and we all know that standard convention is far from consistent). I get the reason for that naming, but the fact is that alterations in chords/scales aren't coherent: are they based on the "source" mode or the actual key? I can understand the concept behind "locrian ♮6", but, to me it doesn't make a lot of sense: using the "♮" symbol means that the degree is that used on the standard mode, not the note in its "harmonic sense". – musicamante Mar 04 '21 at 00:35
  • Locrian ♮6 means that the scale has natural sixth, as opposed to b6 normally present in locrian. And "natural 6th" means exactly the same as "major 6th", just various communities chose to use different names... Similarly "flat 6th" equals to "minor 6th". So ionian, a.k.a. major scale is the reference, even if we speak of minor scales, or whatever else. – user1079505 Mar 04 '21 at 03:13
  • I don't know much about the conventions, but I certainly understand the phrase "Locrian ♮6" much more instinctively than the phrase "Locrian 6". For all I know, "Locrian 6" could be an added-note scale containing both the minor and natural 6ths. An 8-note scale. – Alec Mar 04 '21 at 15:05
4

The scale A Bb C D Eb F# G, which is enharmonically equivalent to the one spelled in the question, is the second mode of G Harmonic Minor. That is, it's equivalent to a G Harmonic Minor scale played beginning on A.

Aaron
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3

If you spell it correctly, substituting A# to Bb and D# to Eb so as not to have same note names, i.e. A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F#, G and start it of at G: G, A,Bb, C, D, Eb, F# you get the G harmonic minor

Shevliaskovic
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