7/23/2019 Exotic Scales Theory

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Here is another (more complete) listing of scales and modes, including synthetic and pentatonic scales. All of the scales are compared to the major scale (formula: 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1, 1/2) showing which intervals are altered. Thanks to all of the people who emailed suggestions and thanks for the last post. Andy Paredes WWW.Athenet.net/~Talamasc Major Scale Modes: 1) Major Scale (Ionian): no alternation 2) Dorian: flat 3, flat 7 3) Phrygian (Kurd, Arabic): flat 2, flat 3, flat 6, flat 7 4) Lydian: sharp 4 5) Mixolydian: flat 7 6) Aeolian (Natural Minor, Ancient Minor, Pure Minor): flat 3, flat 6, flat 7 7) Locrian: flat 2, flat 3, flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 

Melodic Minor Scale Modes 

1) Melodic Minor (Jazz Minor): flat 3 2) Javanese: flat 2, flat 3, flat 7 3) Lydian Augmented: sharp 4, sharp 5, flat 7 4) Overtone (Lydian Dominant): sharp 4, flat 7 5) Hindu: flat 6, flat 7 6) Locrian natural 2: flat 3, flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 7) Super Locrian (Altered, Ravel): flat 2, flat 3, 4, flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 

Harmonic Minor Scale Modes: 1) Harmonic Minor Scale (Mohammedan): flat 3, flat 6

 2) Locrian Natural 6: flat 2, flat 3, flat 5, flat 7 3) Harmonic Major: sharp 5 4) Romanian: flat 3, sharp 4, flat 7 5) Phrygian Dominant (Major Phrygian, Balkan, Jewish, Spanish Gypsy, Ahavoh Rabboh):flat 2, flat 6, flat 7 6) Lydian sharp 2: sharp 2, sharp 4 7) Ultra Locrian: flat 2, flat 3, 4, flat 5, flat 6, double flat 7 

Double Harmonic Minor Scale Modes 1) Double Harmonic Minor (Byzantine, Gypsy, Charhargah, East Indian Raga): flat 2, flat 6

 2) sharp 2, sharp 4, sharp 6 3) flat 2, flat 3, 4, flat 6, double flat 7 4) Hungarian Minor (Algerian): flat 3, sharp 4, flat 6 5) Oriental: flat 2, flat 5, flat 7 6) sharp 2, sharp 5 7) flat 2, double flat 3, flat 5, flat 6, double flat 7 Neapolitan Major Modes 1) Neapolitan Major: flat 2, flat 3

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 2) sharp 4, sharp 5, sharp 6 3) sharp 4, sharp 5, flat 7 4) Lydian Minor: sharp 4, flat 6, flat 7 5) Major Locrian (Arabian): flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 6) flat 3, flat 4, flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 7) flat 2, double flat 3, flat 4, flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 

Neapolitan Minor Modes 1) Neapolitan Minor: 2, 3, 6 2) sharp 4, sharp 6 3) Mixolydian Augmented: sharp 5, flat 7 4) Hungarian Gypsy: flat 3, sharp 4, flat 6, flat 7 5) flat 2, flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 6) sharp 2 7) flat 2, double flat 3, flat 4, flat 5, flat 6, double flat 7 

Hungarian Major Modes 1) Hungarian Major:sharp 2, sharp 4, flat 7 2) flat 2, flat 3, flat 4, flat 5, double flat 6, double flat 7 3) flat 3, flat 5,flat 6

 4) flat 2, flat 3, flat 4, flat 5, flat 7 5) flat 3, sharp 5 6) flat 2, flat 3, sharp 4, flat 7 7) sharp 3, sharp 4, sharp 5 Indian Ragas Todi: flat 2, flat 3, sharp 4, flat 6 Marva: flat 2, sharp 4 

miscellaneous Persian: flat 2, flat 5, flat 6 Enigmatic: flat 2, sharp 4, sharp 5, sharp 6

 Spanish Eight Tone: flat 3, (3), flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 Synthetic Scales Synthetic scales are scales that follow particular orders in the steps between the note values, rather than traditional tonal construction. The following scales are listed by their formulas rather than interval differences to the major scale. Chromatic: (all ½ step distances): ½, ½, ½, ½, ½, ½, ½, ½, ½, ½, ½, ½ Whole Tone (all whole step distances): 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 Diminished: 1, ½, 1, ½, 1, ½, 1, ½ Inverted Diminished: ½, 1, ½, 1, ½, 1, ½, 1 Augmented Scale: 1½, ½, 1½, ½, 1½, ½

 

Pentatonic Scales Because of the variations possible in pentatonic scales and different intervals being excluded, all the intervals in each scale are listed rather than just the altered intervals compared to the major scale. Pentatonic Major Modes 

7/23/2019 Exotic Scales Theory

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 1) Major Scale Pentatonic (Mongolian): 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 2) Egyptian: 1, 2, 4, 5, flat 7, 8 3) 1, flat 3, 4, flat 6, flat 7, 8 4) Ritusen: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 5) Pentatonic minor: 1, flat 3, 4, 5, flat 7, 8 

Exotic Pentatonic Scales Japanese: 1, flat 2, 4, 5, flat 6, 8 Chinese: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8  1, 3, sharp 4, 5, 7, 8 Iwato: 1, flat 2, 4, 5, flat 7, 8 Scriabin: 1, flat 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 Hirajoshi: 1, 2, flat 3, 5, flat 6, 8 Kumoi: 1, 2, flat 3, 5, 6, 8 Pelog (Balinese): 1, flat 2, flat 3, 5, flat 6, 8 Indian Pentatonic: 1, 3, 4, 5, flat 7, 8 

Hexatonic scales (6 note scales): Prometheus: 1, 2, 3, sharp 4, 6, flat 7, 8 Prometheus Neapolitan: 1, flat 2, 3, sharp 4, 5, flat 7, 8 Blues Scale: 1, flat 3, 4, sharp 4, 5, flat 7, 8

From: aesager@acs4.acs.ucalgary.ca (Alexander Edward Sager)

Some of these are pretty cool, especially if played with a drone:

#=sharpb=flat

Neapolitan Minor: C Db Eb F G Ab B CNeapolitan Major: C Db Eb F G A B C*Oriental: C Db E F Gb A Bb C*Double Harmonic: C Db E F G Ab B C (Gypsy)

Enigmatic: C Db E F# G# A# B C*Hirajoshi: A B C E F A*Hungarian Minor: C D Eb F# G Ab B CHungarian Major: C D# E F# G A Bb C*Kumoi: E F A B C E*Iwato: B C E F A BHindu: C D E F G Ab Bb CSpanish 8 Tone: C Db Eb E F Gb Ab Bb CPelog: C Db Eb G Bb CHungarian Gypsy: C D Eb F# G Ab Bb CMajor Phrygian: C Db E F G Ab Bb CMajor Locrian: C D E F Gb Ab Bb CLydian Minor: C D E F# G Ab Bb C

Overrtone: C D E F# G A Bb C*Leading Whole Tone: C D E F# G# A# B CArabian: C D E F Gb Ab Bb CBalinese: C Db Eb G Ab C*Gypsy: C Db E F G Ab B C (Double Harmonic)Mohammedan: C D Eb F G Ab B C (Minor Harmonic)Javanese: C Db Eb F G A Bb C*Persian: C Db E F Gb Ab B C*Algerian: C D Eb F# G Ab B C D Eb F (derivada de la Hungarian Minor)Aeolian: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

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*Byzantine: C Db E F G Ab B C (Double Harmonic o Gypsy)Hawaiian: C D Eb (F grace note) G A B C*Jewish: E F G# A B C D E*Mongolian: C D E G A C (Pentatnica Mayor)Ethiopian: G A Bb C D Eb F G (The B and E can also be natural andthe F can be sharp)*Spanish: C Db E F G Ab Bb CEgyptian: C D F G Bb C*Japanese: C Db F G Ab C (Kumoi)*Chinese: F G A C D F (Mongolian, Pentatnica Mayor)  C E F# G B C