Aeolian: natural minor as a mode
The natural minor (Aeolian): A B C D E F G (1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7). Used “modally” it means without the leading tone G# and therefore without a major dominant: the piece stands on i, bVI, bIII, bVII, iv, and v. The characteristic note compared to Dorian is the b6 (F), which gives the melancholic color.
Aeolian chords (A)
| Chord | Degree | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Am | i | tonic |
| Bdim | ii° | rare |
| C | bIII | relative major |
| Dm | iv | subdominant |
| Em | v | minor dominant, weak |
| F | bVI | characteristic chord (b6) |
| G | bVII | the rock and pop “dominant” |
The most-used Aeolian loops
| Loop | Chords (A) | Example of color |
|---|---|---|
| i – bVI – bIII – bVII | Am – F – C – G | “epic” pop/rock (rotation of vi–IV–I–V) |
| i – bVII – bVI | Am – G – F | rock (and Andalusian descent without the V) |
| i – bVI – bVII | Am – F – G | stadium rock, trailers |
| i – iv – v | Am – Dm – Em | folk, “ancient” minor |
| i – bVII – bVI – bVII | Am – G – F – G | hypnotic |
| i – bIII – bVII – iv | Am – C – G – Dm | indie |
Real examples
- Bob Dylan / Jimi Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower (1967/1968): i – bVII – bVI in a loop (in Hendrix’s version C#m – B – A).
- The Cranberries, Zombie (1994): Em – C – G – D, an Aeolian reading i – bVI – bIII – bVII (or vi – IV – I – V in G).
- Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven: in the final section Am – G – F.
- Hans Zimmer and trailer music: i – bVI – bIII – bVII in the strings and brass (see the lesson on harmony for film).
Aeolian versus harmonic minor
| Aeolian | Harmonic minor | |
|---|---|---|
| V | Em (weak) | E / E7 (strong) |
| Seventh degree | G (b7) | G# (leading tone) |
| Effect | circular, “modal,” modern | directional, “classical” |
| Genres | rock, pop, metal, EDM | classical, tango, neoclassical metal |
Many songs mix them: an Aeolian loop in the verse, E7 at the end of the pre-chorus to create tension.
Locrian: the unstable mode
B Locrian: B C D E F G A (1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7). The tonic has a diminished fifth (F over B): the tonic chord is Bdim (Bø7), unstable by nature. That is why Locrian is the least-used mode.
- Chords: Bø7 (i), C (bII), Dm (biii), Em (iv), F (bV), G (bVI), Am (bvii).
- It is used mostly in metal riffs that revolve around B with C (b2) and F (b5), often with power chords on the tonic (B5, which however “contradicts” the mode by introducing F#).
- Some pop/alternative songs are cited as examples of Locrian (for example Army of Me by Björk), but the analysis is often debated: “pure” Locrian is more a theoretical reference than a widespread practice.
- In jazz, Locrian (and Locrian #2) is the scale of the iiø7 in minor.
Producer exercise
- Loop Am – F – C – G at 128 BPM, synth pad + plucks: it sounds like “epic EDM.”
- Rewrite the last chord as E (with G#): Am – F – C – E. Hear how the loop becomes directional.
- Locrian experiment: guitar riff in B with B – C – F – B (b2 and b5), bass that never plays F#. Try to make it “musical” for 8 bars.
Related topics
Harmony in minor keys, modal harmony and modal loops, Andalusian cadence, harmony in metal, harmony for film.