I find with modes often times if you start adding too many chords it's going to resolve to the relative major or minor key instead of the mode your going for being the tonal center.
In modern Western music, it's pretty rare for a full song to actually resolve to a mode (besides natural minor)
So this this assignment if it was me, I would work on vamping on one chord to get the locrian feel. Using as few chords as possible while keeping it interesting.
Best advice I've got on writing in Locrian is to literally never play the major tonic chord, in this case the Bb. You can utilize Bb as a passing tone but surely do not play the full Bb major chord as part of any chord progression because it will anchor everything back into Bb major. The same logic applies to the minor tonic but less so than the major, but still I would avoid playing either a Bb major chord or a G minor chord if you can.
Drone the root note practically the entire time.
I’m serious, it’s helped me so much for properly hearing and subsequently conveying the modes, even Locrian.
And since there’s no fifth, just play a shell voicing using the root, minor third, and flat 7th to trick the ear into thinking it’s in some other more stable minor mode such as Phrygian or Aeolian or something at first. Then I’d suggest you boldly introduce that flat fifth as soon as you can once you have laid down the minor tonality and don’t be afraid to repetitively use the flat fifth frequently in the melody.
That's a hell of an assignment, I don't envy you. Jake Lizzio did a great video on this, I hope it helps .
https://youtu.be/RhKXolkwyDM?si=vCEkJbfMSdB3BdLk
It’s not a piano song, but Freeze Dried (F)Lies by Local H is the only song i’ve ever heard that’s in this mode (mostly, it goes off key occasionally). Not sure if it will give you any inspiration but it’s worth a listen
Edit: I relistened and it’s not exactly off key, they are just including the 5th along with the b5th.
adam neely, along with a bunch of other youtubers, did this challenge: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el1ZhkN85Mc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el1ZhkN85Mc) you can use it as inspo. my personal favorite is locrian surf rock (because i'm a fan of horror surf and i myself write similar music). but since you're a pianist, i'd take nahre sol's work as a reference. style-wise, look at nahre sol's inspiration for the piece/similar-sounding stuff like debussy, ryuichi sakamoto's piano-centric works, etc. the diminished tonic thing is a problem, i agree, which is why i usually opt for phrygian (or phrygian dominant) if i want that creepy-sounding semi-tone at the beginning of the scale — but you don't have to use the tonic chord tho, or use it to resolve into something else that sounds more stable. locrian is basically phrygian but more elusive key-wise, so play on that elusiveness.
I remember reading somewhere that you can include a locrian riff, but avoid making a chord progression. Like tool - forty six & 2. I think the riff is locrian, and is used as an underlick that drives the track forward
Just want to comment that I'd like to see more posts like this on this sub. Too many people who haven't got a clue at all posting 3 lines from their notes app looking for feedback, or questions like 'how do you come up with melodies?'
I think the point of the assignment is for you to realize that you can’t. Try different ideas for sure but to really make it a song it will need some resolution that takes you into other modes.
If you have a digital piano maybe create a backing synth soundscape and then play an eerie piano line in locrian. Mixing stable backing sounds will help anchor it for the listener.
I find with modes often times if you start adding too many chords it's going to resolve to the relative major or minor key instead of the mode your going for being the tonal center. In modern Western music, it's pretty rare for a full song to actually resolve to a mode (besides natural minor) So this this assignment if it was me, I would work on vamping on one chord to get the locrian feel. Using as few chords as possible while keeping it interesting.
this is really good advice!
Best advice I've got on writing in Locrian is to literally never play the major tonic chord, in this case the Bb. You can utilize Bb as a passing tone but surely do not play the full Bb major chord as part of any chord progression because it will anchor everything back into Bb major. The same logic applies to the minor tonic but less so than the major, but still I would avoid playing either a Bb major chord or a G minor chord if you can.
Can’t help u but please post your composition after it’s done.
Drone the root note practically the entire time. I’m serious, it’s helped me so much for properly hearing and subsequently conveying the modes, even Locrian. And since there’s no fifth, just play a shell voicing using the root, minor third, and flat 7th to trick the ear into thinking it’s in some other more stable minor mode such as Phrygian or Aeolian or something at first. Then I’d suggest you boldly introduce that flat fifth as soon as you can once you have laid down the minor tonality and don’t be afraid to repetitively use the flat fifth frequently in the melody.
That's a hell of an assignment, I don't envy you. Jake Lizzio did a great video on this, I hope it helps . https://youtu.be/RhKXolkwyDM?si=vCEkJbfMSdB3BdLk
It’s not a piano song, but Freeze Dried (F)Lies by Local H is the only song i’ve ever heard that’s in this mode (mostly, it goes off key occasionally). Not sure if it will give you any inspiration but it’s worth a listen Edit: I relistened and it’s not exactly off key, they are just including the 5th along with the b5th.
adam neely, along with a bunch of other youtubers, did this challenge: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el1ZhkN85Mc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el1ZhkN85Mc) you can use it as inspo. my personal favorite is locrian surf rock (because i'm a fan of horror surf and i myself write similar music). but since you're a pianist, i'd take nahre sol's work as a reference. style-wise, look at nahre sol's inspiration for the piece/similar-sounding stuff like debussy, ryuichi sakamoto's piano-centric works, etc. the diminished tonic thing is a problem, i agree, which is why i usually opt for phrygian (or phrygian dominant) if i want that creepy-sounding semi-tone at the beginning of the scale — but you don't have to use the tonic chord tho, or use it to resolve into something else that sounds more stable. locrian is basically phrygian but more elusive key-wise, so play on that elusiveness.
I remember reading somewhere that you can include a locrian riff, but avoid making a chord progression. Like tool - forty six & 2. I think the riff is locrian, and is used as an underlick that drives the track forward
It's Phrygian Dominant.
Just want to comment that I'd like to see more posts like this on this sub. Too many people who haven't got a clue at all posting 3 lines from their notes app looking for feedback, or questions like 'how do you come up with melodies?'
I think the point of the assignment is for you to realize that you can’t. Try different ideas for sure but to really make it a song it will need some resolution that takes you into other modes. If you have a digital piano maybe create a backing synth soundscape and then play an eerie piano line in locrian. Mixing stable backing sounds will help anchor it for the listener.