There
are two scales to use over a Minor
7 b5 (Half-Diminished) chord, and they are identical except for the
2nd degree. These chords most often appear as the ii chord when resolving
to a minor key, but the Locrian is not the most common choice in this
situation. It is the most common choice when the chord is built on
the #4 in a major key progression. Ladies and gentlemen, the Locrian
Mode:
This
is the seventh mode of the Major Scale. It can be used whenever a
Minor 7 b5 is called for (see above). The 2nd degree is not very usable
as a point of rest or emphasis. To deal with this, raise it a half
step to get:
Locrian
#2. Not much imagination in the name department. Now the 2nd degree
is more usable as a point of rest/emphasis, and for this reason gets
my vote as the true sound of a Minor 7 b5 (Half-Diminished) chord.
