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Exotic Scales

Revision as of 16:56, 3 July 2014 by Meambobbo (talk | contribs) (→‎Chromatic)

Revision as of 16:56, 3 July 2014 by Meambobbo (talk | contribs) (→‎Chromatic)

Contents

Pentatonic

Eastern Pentatonic - Yo

R M2 P4 P5 M6 R
 w  +  w  w  +

This scale is very similar to the major pentatonic scale; however, it uses a P4 instead of M3. It does have a slightly Eastern feel to it, but it fits in nicely with Western music. It is actually a mode of the common minor and major pentatonic scales. 

  G Yo Pentatonic
e------------------
b------------------
g----------------0-
d----------0--2----
a----0--3----------
e-3----------------
  G  A  C  D  E  G
C A G E D 
|-|o|-|o|
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Eastern Pentatonic - In

R m2 P4 P5 m6 R
 h  *  w  h  *

Take the above scale and flat the 2nd and 6th. It has a similar feel to the Phrygian mode, containing a subset of its notes. Yet the M3 jumps really emphasize an exotic feel. 

 G In Pentatonic
e------------------
b------------------
g----------------0-
d----------0--1----
a-------3----------
e-3--4-------------
  G  Ab C  D  Eb G
C A G E D 
|-|-|o|-|o|
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Egyptian/Suspended Pentatonic

R M2 P4 P5 m7 R
 w  +  w  +  w



  D Egyptian/Suspended Pentatonic
e------------------
b-------------1--3-
g-------0--2-------
d-0--2-------------
a------------------
e------------------
  D  E  G  A  C  D
C A G E D 
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Pentatonic - Minor Blues

R m3 P4 m6 m7 R
 +  w  +  w  w



 E Minor Blues Pentatonic
e----------------0-
b----------1--3----
g----0--2----------
d-2----------------
a------------------
e------------------
  E  G  A  C  D  E
C A G E D 
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Heptatonic

Double Harmonic

R m2 M3 P4 P5 m6 M7 R
 h  +  h  w  h  +  h

This is called the double harmonic scale due to its dual harmonic tetrachords (h + h). It has a very exotic feel due to the augmented 2nds, as well as containing both the m2 and M7 notes around the root. It is most easily arrived at by flattening the 2nd of the Harmonic Major scale. It is also a mode of Hungarian Minor. 

 A Double Harmonic
e------------------------
b------------------------
g-------------------1--2-
d----------0--2--3-------
a-0--1--4----------------
e------------------------
  A  Bb C# D  E  F  G# A
C C/A A G G/E E D 
|-|o|o|-|o|
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Hungarian Minor

R M2 m3 a4 P5 m6 M7 R
 w  h  +  h  h  +  h

Has 2 augmented 2nds and 2 consecutive half-steps for a very exotic feel. It's most easily derived by sharping the perfect 4th of the Harmonic Minor scale. All its half-steps make its tonality ambiguous. It is also known as the Gypsy Minor scale, traditionally popular in Eastern Europe. It works well over minor and minor/major 7th chords. It is also a mode of the Double Harmonic scale.

Its diatonic chords are i, II7♭5, III+, V, ♭VITemplate:Maj7, vii6. 

  A Double Harmonic
e------------------------
b------------------------
g-------------------1--2-
d----------1--2--3-------
a-0--2--3----------------
e------------------------
  A  B  C  D# E  F  G# A
C C/A A G G/E E D 
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Octatonic

Whole-Half

R M2 m3 P4 d5 m6 M6 M7 R
 w  h  w  h  w  h  w  h

Consists simply of alternating whole and half steps, repeating 4 times before returing to the root note. There is no clear tonality here - it is a symmetric scale. You can change the root note of the scale to every other note and get the same exact notes and step-sequence. This is often referred to as the diminished scale, due to its inclusion of the m3, d5, and d7 intervals (M6 = d7), which make up the fully diminished chord. 

 A Whole-Half
e----------------------------
b----------------------------
g----------------------1--2--
d----------0--1--3--4--------
a-0--2--3--------------------
e----------------------------
  A  B  C  D  Eb F  Gb Ab A
Pattern 1 Pattern 2 3 nps 4 nps 
|x|-|o|x|-|
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* This scale is symmetric when dividing the octave into halves or quarters. Every other note can be the root and produce the same pattern.

Half-Whole

R m2 m3 d4 d5 P5 M6 m7 R
 h  w  h  w  h  w  h  w

Basically the exact same as above, except the patterns are half then whole instead of whole then half. Every other observation about the whole-half applies to half-whole. It also contains all the notes from the fully diminished chord. Its a symmetric scale without any tonality. Every other note could be the root and you'd get the same notes. It is also a mode of the above whole-half scale. 

 A Half-Whole
e----------------------------
b----------------------------
g----------------------0--2--
d-------------1--2--4--------
a-0--1--3--4-----------------
e----------------------------
  A  Bb C  Db Eb E  Gb G  A
Pattern 1 Pattern 2 3 nps 4 nps 
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* This scale is symmetric when dividing the octave into halves or quarters. Every other note can be the root and produce the same pattern.

Hexatonic

Whole Tone

R M2 M3 a4 a5 a6 R   =  R M2 M3 d5 m6 m7 R
 w  w  w  w  w  w

Although different from the augmented scale, it contains the M3 and a5 of an augmented triad. All of its diatonic chords are augmented triads. Every step in the scale is a whole tone, making it completely symmetric and atonal. It simply seems to wander around aimlessly. 

 A Whole Tone
e---------------------
b---------------------
g----------------0--2-
d----------1--3-------
a-0--2--4-------------
e---------------------
  A  B  C# D# F  G  A
Pattern 1 Pattern 2 3 nps 
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* These patterns will work with any root, as the whole tone scale is fully symmetric.

Augmented

R m3 M3 a5 m6 M7
 +  h  +  h  +  h
Pattern 1 Pattern 2 
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* This scale is symmetric when dividing the octave into thirds. Every other note can be the root, and the scale pattern is identical.

Prometheus

R M2 M3 tt M6 m7
 w  w  w  +  h  w

Tritone

R m2 m3 a4 P5 m7
 h  w  +  h  +  w

Chromatic

R m2 M2 m3 M3 P4 d5 P5 m6 M6 m7 M7
 h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h

The chromatic scale consists of every note in the 12-tone scale, with its whole-half pattern consisting entirely of half steps. It has no tonality - every note in the scale has as much tension as any other note. 

  A Chromatic
e---------------------------------------
b---------------------------------------
g-------------------------------0--1--2-
d----------------0--1--2--3--4----------
a-0--1--2--3--4-------------------------
e---------------------------------------
  A  A# B  C  C# D  D# E  F  F# G  G# A
Fixed Pos. 4 nps 
|x|x|x|x|x|
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* This scale is fully symmetric - any note can be the tonic and produce the same fingering pattern.

Some well-known artists to incorporate this scale:

  • Chopin
  • John Petrucci

Symmetric Scales

Symmetric Scales are scales that divide an octave into 2 or more equal parts. In other words, the whole/half pattern of notes for each piece will be identical and there are no leftover notes. Here is an example of a symmetric scale I am just inventing: 

R m2 P4 d5 m6 M7
 h  *  h  h  *  h

We can divide this into two equal parts: 

R  m2 P4 d5
d5 m6 M7 R
  h  *  h

The most symmetric scale is the chromatic scale: 

R m2 M2 m3 M3 P4 d5 P5 m6 M6 m7 M7 R
 h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h  h

Which can be represented as follows: 

R  m2 M2 m3 M3 P4 d5
d5 P5 m6 M6 m7 M7 R
  h  h  h  h  h  h

R  m2 M2 m3 M3
M3 P4 d5 P5 m6
m6 M6 m7 M7 R
  h  h  h  h

R  m2 M2 m3 
m3 M3 P4 d5
d5 P5 m6 M6
M6 m7 M7 R
  h  h  h

R  m2 M2
M2 m3 M3
M3 P4 d5
d5 P5 m6
m6 M6 m7
m7 M7 R
  h  h

R  m2
m2 M2
M2 m3
m3 M3
M3 P4
P4 d5
d5 P5
P5 m6
m6 M6
M6 m7
m7 M7
M7 R
  h
  • If the scale is symmetric by dividing the octave into halves, it must have the a4/tt/d5 note.
  • Pentatonic and Hexatonic scales cannot be symmetric as 5 and 7 are prime numbers that cannot be subdivided into 2 or more groups of equal notes

Common symmetric scales include:

  • Whole Tone
  • Octatonic (Whole-Half and Half-Whole)
  • Chromatic
  • Augmented

Synthetic Scales

Synthetic Scales are formed by lowering or raising a single note of an existing scale by a half-step.

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Last edited on 8 November 2015, at 18:36