Half diminished scale

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The half diminished scale is a musical scale more commonly known as "Locrian sharp 2", or "Aeolian flat 5". Most musicians prefer these names, to avoid confusion with the diminished scales (see octatonic scales) and the half-diminished seventh chord (min. 7, flat 5). It is simply Mode VI of the ascending melodic minor scale. (See Locrian mode.) (See Modes of the melodic minor scale at Jazz scale.) [1]

[edit] Applications

Locrian #2 is commonly used in jazz and some rock. It is commonly practised by such neoclassical guitarists as Yngwie Malmsteen and Michael Romeo, and such jazz pianists as Oscar Peterson and Jonah Cristall-Clarke.

The half diminished scales, although derived from classical scales, offer fresh potentials in harmonic and melodic structure.

Musical scales by	edit
# | pentatonic | hexatonic | heptatonic | octatonic | chromatic
Types | Altered | Bebop | Diatonic scale | Enharmonic | Jazz scale | Minor scale
Name | Acoustic | Blues | Bohlen-Pierce | Diatonic | Double harmonic | Half diminished | Harmonic major | Lydian dominant | Major | Major locrian | Pelog | Phrygian dominant scale | Slendro
"Ethnic" name | Arabic | Gypsy | Jewish

Modes of the diatonic scale	edit
Ionian (I) | Dorian (II) | Phrygian (III)
Lydian (IV) | Mixolydian (V) | Aeolian (VI) | Locrian (VII)

Modes of the melodic minor scale	edit
Melodic minor (I) | Dorian b2 (II) | Lydian Augmented (III)
Lydian Dominant (IV) | Mixolydian b13(V) | Locrian #2 (VI) | | Altered (VII)