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One of the things I've discovered in composing music is that playing with unusual scales, especially ones outside the typical Western tradition, adds something special to a song. So I thought I'd share some of my favorite scales and invite others to do the same. As often as possible, I'll explain them as modes or versions of the Western "C" scale (a lot of these are simply little used modes of scales we are familiar with).
From Imperial Court music begun in China and imported by the Japanese come two great "scales": ryo (Chinese "gong") and ritsu ("yu"). They are typically pentatonic, but traditionally they can easily be made seven-note scales (which is how I prefer to employ them). I'll bracket the two added notes so you can see both versions of these scales (which, btw, are used primarily in sacred music).
Ryo (considered "male" because of its strong perfect third):
C D E [F-sharp] G A [B] (note: the pentatonic version is also called "Mongolian"; in the West we call it the major pentatonic. The heptatonic version of Ryo is what we would call the C Lydian mode.)
Ritsu ("female" because of the lack of a perfect third in favor of the more wavering, ambiguous fourth... heh):
C D [E-flat] F G A [B-flat]
Japanese folk songs (minyo) often use a yo or inkabushi (country) scale. Again, it's normally pentatonic, but I'll show you a heptatonic version, too:
C [D] E-flat F G [A-flat] B-flat (Note: these are the same as the minor pentatonic and natural minor heptatonic scales in the West.)
Another traditional Japanese scale is the in or miyakobushi (capital scale). Not to get too complicated, but it is very similar to the ritsu scale, as they're both constructed using two tetrachords that only differ in that the second note of each tetrachord is flattened (as if derived from a minor scale). Anyway, here's the in scale (in pentatonic and heptatonic iterations):
C D-flat [E-flat] F G A-flat [B-flat]
I use that scale a lot in my Musashi "album." We would term the heptatonic version the C Phrygian mode.
Okay, one final scale, and I'll leave you alone. This one is called, variously, Ahava Rabboh, Freygish, Hijaz, and Spanish Gypsy. You can hear it in flamenco, klezmer and some Turkish/Arabic music (very ecumenical, heh). Its official name is C Phrygian dominant or major, and it is a mode of the harmonic minor scale (which basically means you take the above C Phrygian mode and sharpen the third).
C D-flat E F G A-flat B-flat C |
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Jul 20, 2006 | 10:17 am |
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Artist
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Ritsu ("female" because of the lack of a perfect third in favor of the more wavering, ambiguous fourth... heh):
C D [E-flat] F G A [B-flat]
Commonly referred to as a minor scale. |
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Jul 20, 2006 | 2:08 pm |
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Artist
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Hrm, no.
C natural minor is C D E-flat F G A-flat B-flat.
C harmonic minor is C D E-flat F G A-flat B.
C melodic minor is C D E-flat F G A B.
The heptatonic version of ritsu has a B-flat (like C natural minor) but no A-flat. Kinda like taking the melodic minor and flattening the seventh.
In Western modal terms, it's the Dorian mode of C major (which flattens the third and seventh). It certainly has a minor "feel" to it. |
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Jul 20, 2006 | 3:08 pm |
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Artist
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some interesting tidbits there |
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Jul 20, 2006 | 4:40 pm |
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Artist
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You are correct, David.
More accurately, I should have said a minor seventh scale. |
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Jul 20, 2006 | 4:43 pm |
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Artist
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I love scales, they are cool, If I could crash a class I would come in when they talk about the scales and their meaning, and the feelings they invoke, and what you can get out of them in terms of emotions.
I am simple untrained in them so what i want is someone to tell me exactly what each one will get me, and then I will pick the one I want and practice it. |
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Jul 20, 2006 | 10:07 pm |
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Artist
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DD, a really neat resource that might be up your alley is www.ravenspiral.com/ravenspiralguide.pdf |
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Jul 21, 2006 | 3:33 pm |
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Artist
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A nice example of what makes music the source and provenance of my human experience (i.e. the left/right brain analogy). I embrace and absorb the quantitative reality of the musical scale and the names we give these tones. But most of all, the unique way in which we individually decide to express them through our instrument(s) of choice (or software choice  ) makes the human experience a delightful endeavor. |
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Jul 22, 2006 | 11:58 pm |
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Artist
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Thanks for the link, DB  |
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Jul 23, 2006 | 12:14 pm |
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Artist
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| plexaura wrote: | | A nice example of what makes music the source and provenance of my human experience (i.e. the left/right brain analogy). I embrace and absorb the quantitative reality of the musical scale and the names we give these tones. But most of all, the unique way in which we individually decide to express them through our instrument(s) of choice (or software choice ) makes the human experience a delightful endeavor. |
I wholeheartedly agree!
(I think) |
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Jul 23, 2006 | 12:35 pm |
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Moderator
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This is cool! I'm learning tons here. Thanks guys. Thanks, David, for starting this. I'm going to copy your info and play around. I'll check out that link, too. |
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Jul 23, 2006 | 10:53 pm |
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Moderator
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Very cool ... thanks for posting David. Maybe one day I'll understand what I'm doing  |
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Jul 24, 2006 | 9:00 am |
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Artist
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FE, I'm largely self-taught, but I assure you, though overwhelming at first, musical theory can really enhance what you do, even if you just grasp the rudiments. |
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Jul 24, 2006 | 10:04 am |
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Artist
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Just a quick addendum: I used the ryo scale (C Lydian mode) on "Starkissed Darkness". In doing a little more research into it, I discovered that musical scholars like Guido D'Arezzo (995-1050), Adam of Fulda (1445-1505), and Juan de Espinoza Medrano (1632-1688) are unanimous in calling the scale "happy." The famous "Salve Regina" was composed using that scale, so it isn't surprising Japanese sacred music would employ it as well.
Another mode/scale I love is the mixolydian. Take any major scale, flatten the seventh, and you've moved into celestial realms, imo.
C mixolydian mode— C D E F G A B-flat
The scholars I mentioned above term this scale "angelical," "of youth," "uniting pleasure and sadness." Bittersweet and beautiful is how I would phrase it. I've used this scale to great effect on "Ghosts of Guerrero Viejo" and "Dolphin Dreams." |
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Jul 25, 2006 | 11:11 am |
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Artist
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Dots, squiggles and lines ... inky spiders crawling across manuscript paper .. one of these days I'll conquer my fear of musical theory and scales !
Dave |
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Jul 27, 2006 | 4:41 pm |
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