Non-Diatonic Scales
This page is under construction.
This section features scales that are not fully harmonizable, like their Major and Minor counterparts. They cannot be used to build a complete set of tertian triads and seventh chords with clear tonic, dominant, and predominant roles, so they are not often employed as full systems for composing in Western music—even though they may serve as complete systems in other musical traditions.
For the improviser, and for our purposes here, we’ll focus on them as collections of notes to create tonal colors, tension, and contrast.
We’ll define these scales in relation to the Major Scale, referring to them by key and moving them through cycles based on Major keys.
Pentatonic Scales
The independent discovery and development of Pentatonic Scales by various ancient cultures across the globe suggests a possible universality in human perception of music.
While Pentatonic scales are used as entire music systems in some cultures, our focus here will be on their use as source material for improvisation.
We’ll start with the Major and Minor Pentatonic Scale, but possibly visit other varieties in the future.
Just as Major and Minor Scales have relative pairs containing this same set of notes, so do the Major and Minor Pentonic Scales.
The Minor Pentatonic
Here’s the structure of the Minor Pentatonic, using the Major Scale as the reference.
The Major Pentatonic
Blues Scales
The Minor Blues
For the Minor Blues Scale, the additional note can be considered either the b5 or the #4.
The Major Blues
The Whole Tone Scale
The Whole Tone Scale is a six-tone (Hexatonic) symmetrical scale comprised of only sequintial whole steps. Having six tones and being symmetrical means that there are only two note sets for all of the Whole Tone Scales. For each set, each note starts a scale that is a permutation of the scales started on the other notes.
The generally accepted degree structure is shown to the right. The #5 to b7 jump creates a Diminished 3rd Interval. You could also call the #5 a b6, which would create a Diminished 3rd Interval between the #4 and b6. Regardless, they are all sequentially one Whole Step apart. This demonstrates the challenges that can occur when applying the Major as the reference point.