beyond pentatonic scales
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beyond pentatonic scales
I am curious and have little knowledge of this. Background first, I am a hack, self taught and not very well, music is a fun hobby but I want to learn more. Pentatonic scales on guitar and cowboy chords I have learned. I want to create something else. I have a melody in mind and half hashed out. My question leads to chording. I do not know a lot od scales obviously, what did the likes of Back and Pachelbel use for their scales in their organ music? Just major scales? How did they choose them? Or the other side of some of my projects the likes of Sergio Leoni and his spaghetti western music. I have a lot to learn just want to move on and these are things I was thinking about in the middle of the night. Thanks if you have any comments or thoughts on this. I bought sounds of music perception so I can start working through that and maybe learn something.
Easy way of getting a handle on it:
The diatonic scale is what you're looking for. The diatonic scale is just a pentatonic scale plus two notes.
The major and minor scales are just modes of the diatonic scale. So learn what a mode is, learn what the diatonic scale is, and you'll be much better off.
Next up: learn the circle of fifths, how it relates to the diatonic scale, and how it relates to different scales in modern western music.
Three fairly straightforward things, and you'll be so much better off.
The diatonic scale is what you're looking for. The diatonic scale is just a pentatonic scale plus two notes.
The major and minor scales are just modes of the diatonic scale. So learn what a mode is, learn what the diatonic scale is, and you'll be much better off.
Next up: learn the circle of fifths, how it relates to the diatonic scale, and how it relates to different scales in modern western music.
Three fairly straightforward things, and you'll be so much better off.
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Spheric El
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On the keyboard the western Diatonic scale is spelt out in the key of C, by blacking out all the notes we don't play - the sharps and flats. Find C ,then play up the 7 white notes and arrive back at C. Yes it sounds familiar. Now if we flatten a note, we are not going to play it ,we shall play the black note to its left. All basic stuff. (On the paper we would write a flat symbol on that line to show all notes on that line are missed out and are now flattened).
Try this - now play the same scale but flatten the 2nd (D) and the 6th (A) and feel the more easten sound. (This is one example of how different tribes picked out their 7 notes back in the day).
Now pick any scale, maybe go back to the major scale of C - the pentatonic of all white notes - and pick out triads ,first starting on C then moving up one note at a time. Often a 4th note is added ,usually a 7th or 9th note.
Find chords using notes only in your chosen scale ,then occasionally brake this rule by using a note for chords that are not in this scale ,to spice it up. The circle of 5ths mentioned above is useful for this.
Try this - now play the same scale but flatten the 2nd (D) and the 6th (A) and feel the more easten sound. (This is one example of how different tribes picked out their 7 notes back in the day).
Now pick any scale, maybe go back to the major scale of C - the pentatonic of all white notes - and pick out triads ,first starting on C then moving up one note at a time. Often a 4th note is added ,usually a 7th or 9th note.
Find chords using notes only in your chosen scale ,then occasionally brake this rule by using a note for chords that are not in this scale ,to spice it up. The circle of 5ths mentioned above is useful for this.
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Spheric El
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- Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:32 pm
- Location: Liverpool
I like that scale I mentioned above ,with flattened 2nd & 6th. It sounds mediterranean .Its called Byzantian or something ,so Turkish maybe? (I'm self taught myself). It's similar to the Harmonic minor which is nice also. The Harmonic minor changes one more note - flatten the 7th note aswell (so in the key of C flatten B to Bb). But now start on the 4th note (F) and use this as our starting note (now the first note) as the emphasis .
Hope thats not too messy the way I explained.
Either scale start on the 4th(F) and play the minor triad chord ,then move to C and play a supporting major to get that feel,then back to Fm .
Include some of the other chords you find in that scale.
So to recap if T=Tone spacing, S=semitone and 3=3semitones spacing jump (to the next key in the scale)...
1st mode of Major Diatonic TTSTTTS (Start on C.Move up by these amounts and it should be all the white notes of the keyboard).
1st mode of Byzantium S3STS3S
4th mode of Byzantium TS3SS3S (same but starting on 4th note)
Harmonic Minor TSTTS3S
It would be nice to hears from others chiming in maybe with their favorite chord patterns or scale combos.
Hope thats not too messy the way I explained.
Either scale start on the 4th(F) and play the minor triad chord ,then move to C and play a supporting major to get that feel,then back to Fm .
Include some of the other chords you find in that scale.
So to recap if T=Tone spacing, S=semitone and 3=3semitones spacing jump (to the next key in the scale)...
1st mode of Major Diatonic TTSTTTS (Start on C.Move up by these amounts and it should be all the white notes of the keyboard).
1st mode of Byzantium S3STS3S
4th mode of Byzantium TS3SS3S (same but starting on 4th note)
Harmonic Minor TSTTS3S
It would be nice to hears from others chiming in maybe with their favorite chord patterns or scale combos.
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Spheric El
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 795
- Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:32 pm
- Location: Liverpool