Melodic MinorDegree 6

Locrian Natural 2

Cool grey with a streak of warm brown. Still cloudy, but with a break in the overcast. less oppressive than regular Locrian.

Scale NotesLocrian Natural 2 in C

C

D

E♭

F

G♭

A♭

B♭

Interval Formula

12♭34♭5♭6♭7

Primary Chord

The tonic chord built from this mode

Cm7♭5

Chord Tones

CD♯F♯A♯

All Diatonic Chords

Cm7♭5Dm7D♯maj7Fm7F♯maj7G♯7A♯m7

Chord Voicings

Guitar voicings for Cm7♭5

Cm7♭5Root, minor 7th, minor 3rd. Shell omits the b5; context and bass define the half-diminished quality.

Cm7♭5Root, b7, b3, b5. Four-note voicing that clearly spells out the half-diminished quality.

Cm7♭5Root, b5, b7, b3. Compact 5th-string drop-2 voicing with the b5 clearly present.

Fretboard

Locrian Natural 2 in C

RootCharacteristic toneScale tone

Listen

Audio. Locrian Natural 2 in C

Tempo:

180 BPM

Musical Context

Diatonic Context

Chords built from the E♭ melodic minor scale — click any chord for voicings

Where to Use Locrian Natural 2

Primary Chord

Cm7♭5

Function

Subdominant Substitute

Key Context

The vi° chord in E♭ melodic minor

Locrian but smoother.

Related Chord Voicings

Extensions, substitutions, and simplifications for Cm7♭5

Simplified Voicings

Example Progressions

Progressions where Locrian Natural 2 applies (in C)

vii° → III⁺ → vi°

vii°: Dm7♭5III⁺: G♭maj7♯5vi°: Cm7♭5

Use Locrian Natural 2 on the highlighted chord

The most important progression in jazz.

Practice in Play Along →

vii° → III⁺

vii°: Dm7♭5III⁺: G♭maj7♯5

Use Locrian Natural 2 on the highlighted chord

The first two chords of a minor ii-V-i without the resolution.

Practice in Play Along →

vi°

vi°: Cm7♭5

Use Locrian Natural 2 on the highlighted chord

Sustained half-diminished chord for practicing Locrian or Locrian Natural 2.

Practice in Play Along →

vii°

vii°: Dm7♭5

Use Locrian Natural 2 on the highlighted chord

A half-diminished vamp using Locrian ♮2.

Practice in Play Along →

vi° → ii → V → vi°

vi°: Cm7♭5ii: Fm7V: B♭7vi°: Cm7♭5

Use Locrian Natural 2 on the highlighted chord

A modal cadence centered on the half-diminished quality.

Practice in Play Along →

Arpeggio Connection

The arpeggio that matches the Cm7♭5 chord

Half-Diminished 7th

Cm7♭5

Tones

C

R

E♭

♭3

G♭

♭5

B♭

♭7

Highlighted = guide tones (define chord quality)

Key

Sound

Locrian but smoother. The natural 2nd removes the harsh half-step cluster at the bottom of regular Locrian, making it more usable and musical over half-diminished chords.

Practical Use Cases

●The preferred scale for m7♭5 (half-diminished) chords in jazz
●ii chord in a minor ii-V-i
●Smoother alternative to standard Locrian

Practical Notes

This is the go-to scale for half-diminished chords in jazz. most experienced players choose this over standard Locrian. It's the sixth mode of melodic minor: to play C Locrian ♮2, think E♭ melodic minor. The natural 2nd (D natural instead of D♭ over Cm7♭5) makes a huge difference in smoothness. When you see a m7♭5 chord in a jazz chart, this should be your first instinct. Absolutely essential for minor ii-V-i progressions.

half-diminishedjazz-essentialminor-ii-Vsmooth

Musical Examples

Autumn Leaves (ii chord in minor sections)

commonly-cited

Jazz Standard · Jazz

A standard where half-diminished chords appear frequently. Most jazz musicians reach for Locrian Natural 2 over these chords for its smoother sound.

Practice Drills

Ascending & Descending in One PositionBeginnerTechnique

5 min

Play the mode ascending and descending within a single five-fret box. Build muscle memory and connect the sound to the shape.

Three-Notes-Per-String PatternsIntermediateTechnique

10 min

Play the mode using three notes on every string, stretching across the neck. Great for building legato technique and hearing the scale in a linear way.

Emphasize Characteristic Tones on Strong BeatsIntermediateImprovisation

10 min

Create short melodic phrases that land the mode's characteristic tone(s) on beats 1 and 3. This trains you to bring out the sound that defines the mode.

Improvise Over a Matching ChordBeginnerImprovisation

5 min

Play the mode's parent chord as a loop (or use a backing track) and improvise over it for two minutes. This connects the mode to its harmonic context.

Create 3 Licks Using Only Strings 1–3IntermediateImprovisation

10 min

Compose three short licks (2–4 beats each) using only the top three strings. This forces creativity within a constraint and builds upper-register vocabulary.

Resolve from Tension to StabilityIntermediateEar Training

8 min

Practice approaching chord tones from a half step above or below, training your ear to hear tension resolve.

Try Locrian Natural 2 in Play Along

Practice improvising over real chord changes with guided scale and target note suggestions.

Compare With

Locrian vs Locrian ♮2

Both scales serve half-diminished (m7b5) chords, but they come from different parent scales and the natural 2nd degree makes Locrian ♮2 significantly more usable in practice.

Related Modes

Locrian Aeolian Dorian

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