there could be mistakes in this…:)
this all happened while I was arranging some music for a high school in Santa Barbara CA.
an EXHAUSTIVE (but not exhaustive enough) Analysis of what happens when you
take the modes of the ascending form of the Melodic Minor Scale, and ADD one more… you get an 8 note scale, which is NOT symmetrical, unlike the Diminished/Octatonic scales, which are (Whole step, half step, alternating up an octave (or Half Step, whole step)
C D Eb F F# G# A B C, or C Db Eb E F# G A Bb C.
this was ALL CAUSED by listening to and analyzing the piece
“SENSEMAYA, chant for the killing of a snake”, by SILVESTRE REVUELTAS, a so-called “Mexican-sounding” piece similar to The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. this piece (Sensemaya) influenced the soundtrack of, and was featured in the film SIN CITY.
some Sensemaya stuff..which is, WHAT, by the way?
WRITE IT DOWN.
NOTE: what I refer to as a “John Williams” scale is one of the modes (the fifth mode) of the Melodic minor scale, ascending form (c melodic minor ascending-C D Eb F G A B C), that is, G-John Williams – G A B C D Eb F G,,, it is G Mixolydian with a flat 6th.
I call it this because I first became aware of harmony based on it in the credits to the 3rd Indiana Jones film. EbM… with some BM triads in it. I heard that, rightly or not, as an Eb M scale with a Flat sixth.
later in life, when I learned of the modes of the melodic minor scale… a major scale with a b6th reminded me right away of that memory of the indiana jones credits. I am aware that it probably has another name, I could google it, but you get the point.)
Note: need a refresher on the “regular” modes? they are:
Ionian (a.k.a, the Major Scale) C D E F G A B C
Dorian C D Eb F G A Bb C
Phrygian C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C
Lydian (the Simp-sons) C D E F# G A B C
Mixolydian C D E F G A Bb C
Aeolian (a.k.a, the “natural minor scale (not to be confused with the melodic minor scale, ascending OR descending form, nor the harmonic minor scale) C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
and last but not least, a mode/scale I’ve only heard one, in EARTHQUAKE WEATHER by BECK, C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C.
great.
need a refresher on the modes of the Melodic minor scale Ascending form?
1. Melodic minor scale, ascending form C D Eb F G A B C (DESCENDING is C Bb Ab G F Eb D C, the same as Natural Minor.)(this stuff only concerns the ascending form)
2. C Db Eb F G A B C (Dorian with a Flat 2)
3. C D E F# G# A B C (Lydian with a Sharp 5)
4. LYDIAN-DOMINANT, C D E F# G A Bb C, a.k.a, Lydian and Mixolydian together. very useful, heard in Jazz and elsewhere.
5. C D E F G Ab Bb C, JOHN WILLIAMS (see above, Major w. flat 6, flat 7)
6. C D Eb F Gb Ab Bb C, natural minor with flat 5.
7. C Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C, Locrian w. flat FOUR.)
phew, ok, onward:
oh yeah, I write MAJOR scales and intervals like this
M3 (MAJOR 3rd,) and minor ones like this:
m3 (minor third,) mind the ALL CAPS and not all caps.
—-
—-
—-
so what are you, ANALYZING SENSEMAYA now???
E F…. is it:
Ab B F F# Ab na, it’s Ab B F G Ab B GG
Mel- D FFFF DF d GF…. Bb Ab EEEEE EF DDD C#….
Bb—— Ab—B-Nat—- C#…… (maybe B is C… can’t tell)
what the fuck KEY is this IN, though? harder to answer…
D E F G Ab Bb B or C… C#. sonofabitch, whether it’s a B or C Matters… fuck.
I think it’s C…
D E F G Ab Bb C C#… eight steps.. OOH yeah…
W h W h W W h h
if it was B, it’d be
if it was D E F G Ab Bb *Cb* C# it’d be
W h W h W h W h….
wow… new ACE idea… son of a BITHCH, dude. wow.
an 8 step scale, but NOT QUITE symmetrical… still has a weird sense, compared to 7 -step scales, but doesn’t have NEARLY the evil of actual diminished scales… it’s sorta like The Melodic Minor Ascending Modes cycle, but…. very curious, VERY DIFFICULT INDEED it is, to NOT hear these IN TERMS of the “NORMAL” scales… even for me, an advocate of the backwards bizzaro theory….
now sir, tell ME… like you do in your classes, WHAT CHORDS are in the NORMAL diminished scales, and what chords are in THIS new one?
D W, then D H
DW – D E F G Ab Bb B C# D
Dh – D Eb F F# G# A B C D
DW has
d dim
e dim, em, EM (and those two repeat all throughout, watch)
f dim
g dim, gm, GM
ab dim
bb dim, bbm, BbM
b dim
c# dim, c#m, C#M
BOOM.
dim on ALL,
m AND M on every other, such that they are m3s apart.
Dh has
d dim, dm, DM (same, I see…)
etc…
CHANGED SENSEMAYA version, which IS by the WAY-
D E F G Ab Bb C-Nat, C# D, right?
WE HAVE- (and this scales NOT symmetrical so you gotta do all 8)
W h W h W W h h
d dim
e dim, E AUG* (!WACK, dude!), EM no 5th, and E LYD can be implied.
f m (NOT f dim…)
g dim, gm
Ab AUG* abM no 5th and Ab LYD can be implied.
bb dim, bbm, BbM, LYD can implied as well.
CM, C AUG*
c# dim, c#m, C#M
dim on the 1, 2, 4, 6, 8
AUG on the 2, 5, 7…
Maj no 5th on the 2, 5, WITH 5th on the 6, 7
m on the 3, 4, 6
I THINK moving one H or W one to the left or right are the only options, no, you can move several… oh god…
w h w h w h w h move 4th W to the left-
w h w h w w h h
if you moved 4th w to the Right, you’d have
w h w h w h h w
do the rest later.
NO, now.
there are Phrygian Implications as well, as well as still other ones, Mixo, (7 chords,) fully and half dims, flat 9s, sharp 9s, alts, both, my a plethora, dorian imps…. aeolian, and Major Flat 2, etc.
W h W h W h h W
would be
D E F G Ab Bb B-nat C-nat D, ooh boy (this shit is exciting!)
d dim
e dim, em, EM, E AUG, (E Lyd Imp.)
f dim, fm
gm, GM, (G Lyd Imp.)
ab dim, Aug AUG, AbM no 5th, (Ab Lyd Imp.)
BbM
b-nat dim
CM, C AUG
this one’s a LOT more similar to the “normal” diminished arrangement.
why?.. NO, it’s NOT…
dims on ALL 8 degrees, WRONG… NO.
dim, m, AND M on every other, m3s apart. NO.
-dims on all 8
-m on the 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 (all except the two notes a tritone apart… fascinating.
-M on the 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (no 5th on the 4, albeit.)
TOTALLY wrong,
THIS is right:
-dims on 1, 2, 3, 5, 7.
-m on the 2, 3, 4
-M on the 2 4 6 8 (and 5 with no 5th)
-AUG on the 2, 5, 8.
amazing shit, man.
so, WHAT the fuck key is sensemaya in can you even tell?
HEHEHE fuckin awesome.
let’s try.
use this in the show, with it’s key relations:)
c#m EM AM AM (a pop song playing here… lame.)
-opening of Sensamaya… VERY hard to tell… VERY…D, F, G… Bb… C#…. response is Bb Ab (low C Nat) High C#….
all over EFEFEFEFEFEFEF
B C-nat Ab B-nat Ab C B Ab strings…
F# G# F#G#G# bones, then
same thing CE and G# B
C E F# G#… wholetony, Augy, plus M7….
DDDDFFDFFDC#C#
horns: B nat—- Bb—— D C# Cnat B—- G# A Bb…
Bb Bb Ab Ab E F F D C# C# Bb Bb Ab E C-nat C-nat???
I’m hearing, Bb C-nat C# D E F G# THERE ARE G NATS in the TIMPS though!!!! FUCK!)
RIGHT… that THAT makes it
D E F G Ab Bb C C#… which is…..
W h W h W W h h…ahhh….
Bb OHHH. it’s Bb LYDIAN DOMINANT #9 (and natural 9)
the sensemaya scale, on of it’s EIGHT iterations, that is.
I WISH I’d THOUGHT of this, it’s INGENIUS!!!
SCALE SPELL IT OUT, now.
-d minor, b5, #5, m7 M7…D Aeolian b5 PLUS M7
e dim, then whole-toney with M7, (wait, what would E alt, be,
Bb C D E F G Ab, that’s E ALT (abd Bb Lydian-Dominant.)
-e ALTered Scale plus M7.
-f melodic minor ascending plus m6
-G BLues scale? hehe, b2. surprising.
-g phrygian M6, plus #4, also G Dorian 2b, plus #4
-Ab LYDIAN plus P4 (P4 AND #4)
-Bb Lydian-Dominant plus #9 (and natural 9) OR Bb Dorian #4 plus M3
-C HOLYCRAP! …C John Williams plus b9 that’s similar to the scale of the santa barbara job, is it not?
-C# Locrian b4, M6 M7 *UGLY*, na, it’s C# Lydian 2b
they appear to be VERY similar to the modes of the melodic minor scale, plus one more note.
how bout that other one?
D E F G Ab Bb B-nat C-nat D
W h W h W h h W
-d Locrian plus M6
-e alt plus P5 (it’s got a b5, #5, and b2 and #2…)
-f melodic minor ascending plus #4
-g(this too is like the show???)
g phrygian M6 plus M3. ALSO G Mixolydian b9 #9… is that like G Alt P4 P5 M6 (instead of #4, #5)
—Ab Lydian #5 plus #9 (in addition to nat-9) ALSO (both wack)
—ab Alt b5 #5 #9 M7 *wack, dude)
-Bb Lydian-Dominant plus b2 (b9) easy enough:)
-b Locrian M7 PLUS M6 (in addition to it’s m6) (b alt? no)
-C John Williams PLUS M7. ALSO CM b6 plus M7 (in addition to it’s m7)
PHEW, that took almost 3 hours/
SO:
2. g phrygian M6 plus M3. ALSO G Mixolydian b9 #9… is that like G Alt P4 P5 M6 (instead of #4, #5)
from the SECOND scale, D E F G Ab Bb B-nat C-nat D
and
-C HOLYCRAP! …C John Williams plus b9 that’s similar to the scale of the santa barbara job, is it not?
from the first, D E F G Ab Bb C C# D… which is…..
B or C# are the only additions to either…
so… from the SECOND, we have
G Ab Bb B-Nat, C D E F G (this one has a M3)
the FIRST is
C C# D E F G Ab Bb C… C John Williams with b2 AND NAtural 2
flat AND original 9th/2)
the SECOND scale was dorian flat 2 plus M3 ALSO, or THE SCALE OF THE SHOW, PLUS a minor 3rd also, i.e, b9 #9
this scale is ALSO C john williams plus M7
the FIRST scale is C John Williams plus m2
SO, we have
John Williams plus m2 (John Williams with a minor AND major 2)
John Williams plus M7 and (J.W. with a minor AND major 7)
Mixolydian b2 PLUS M3… (Mixolydian b9 #9)
the scale of the show AS IS, is
John Williams b2.
AS is is
AS IS is G Ab B C D Eb F G (normal, 7-step scale, jw b2)
jw+m2=G Ab A B C D Eb F G (M and m2ns)
jw+M7= G A B C D Eb F F# G
Mixo b9#9=G Ab Bb B C D E F G
G Ab B C D Eb F G (the 7-note scale)
G Ab A B C D Eb F G (8-note)
G A B C D Eb F F# G (8-note)
G Ab Bb B C D E F G (8-note)
PHEW WOW.
UNCHANGING NOTES IN ALL FOUR:
G B C D F G
Root, M3, P4, P5, m7
two have m3, one has M, one has BOTH
3 have b6, one has M6
one ALSO has M7
there are NO TRITONES AT ALL.
(off the root, I mean)
OPTIONS
if you decide to use a M7, also add a M9/2nd
if you decide to use a M6, also add a minor 3rd (this is the flat nine/sharp nine one; it has a M6)
you can use a b2 with a M2…(no other changes to existing scale)
where are the chords: (oh god, sir.)
G Ab B C D Eb F G (the 7-note scale)
G Ab A B C D Eb F G (8-note)
G A B C D Eb F F# G (8-note)
G Ab Bb B C D E F G (8-note)
G Ab B C D Eb F G (the 7-note scale)
-GM, G AUG…
-abm, AbM
-b dim
-cm
-d dim
-Eb AUG
-f dim, fm
2. G Ab A B C D Eb F G (8-note) (this is C melodic minor ascending PLUS M6, as well)
-GM, G AUG
-ab dim, abm, AbM
-a dim
-b dim, B AUG
-cm
-d dim, dm
-Eb Aug (Lyd imp)
-f dim, fm, FM
3. G A B C D Eb F F# G (8-note)
-GM, G AUG
-a dim
-b dim, dm, BM, B AUG (ALL FOUR!!!!) (Lyd Imp as well)
-c dim, cm
-dm
-eb dim, EbM (no 5th, Lyd Imp,) Eb AUG
-FM
-f# dim
4. G Ab Bb B C D E F G (8-note)
-gm, GM
-ab dim, Ab AUG (Lyd Imp)
-BbM
-CM, C AUG
-d dim
-e dim, em, EM, E AUG (ALL FOUR), (Lyd Imp as well again)
-f dim, f m
THESE ARE THE SAME, these last two, a 4th apart.
OK, sir, ENOUGH. WRITE MUSIC.
that’s a FIFTEEN PAGE ANALYSIS. YOU CRAZY!
G Ab B C D Eb F G (the 7-note scale)
G Ab A B C D Eb F G (8-note)
G A B C D Eb F F# G (8-note)
G Ab Bb B C D E F G (8-note)
John Williams b2
2. one of them is simply the one it already is plus a M2 WITH it’s m2…:)
3. don’t use the 3rd one, unless you gonna raise it’s b2 and ADD a M7, plus it’s b7)
4. TECHNICALLY the one with the b9#9 has MAJOR 6th/13th)
ALL THREE of the first ones contain Ab B Eb G, the B.D. chord.
sustain it, Ab Cb Eb G-nat… even with a Bb……..
resolve the Ab and Eb to G and D.
G B D G.
it has Ab Eb Bb, fifths, ALL MOVING DOWN to G, D< and A, a 9.
enough, goodnight.
