Scale Lesson

• Music Theory
• Piano Chords
• Piano Chords in the Key of C
• Piano Chords in the Key of D
• Piano Chords in the Key of E
• Piano Chords in the Key of F
• Piano Chords in the Key of G
• Piano Chords in the Key of A
• Piano Chords in the Key of B
• Guitar Chords
• Guitar Chords in the Key of C
• Guitar Chords in the Key of D
• Guitar Chords in the Key of E
• Guitar Chords in the Key of F
• Guitar Chords in the Key of G
• Guitar Chords in the Key of A
• Guitar Chords in the Key of B
• Scale Lessons
• Chinese scale (Major Pentatonic scale)
• Oriental (Arabic) scale
• Indian scale
• Spanish scale
• Gypsy scale
• Natural minor scale (Aeorian Mode)
• Harmonic minor scale
• Melodic minor scale
• Major scale (Ionian Mode)
• Dorian scale
• Phrygian scale
• Lydian scale
• Mixolydian scale
• Locrian scale

Spanish scale

Speakinging of Spain, what comes my mind is an artist such as Joan Miro and Antoni Tapies. In this search engine era, we tend to be swayed by what we see on internet. So I think there are probably few people who came to know Tapies and understood it. I hope our kids find some good things and understand it by him or herself.

Now, this lecture is the Spanish scale. Like Gregorian mode(Church mode), the scales we are accustomed to are consist of 7 notes, but the Spanish scale is consists of following 8 notes.

Spanish / Phrygian scale

	C		D		E	F		G		A		B
Spanish scale	♪	♪		♪	♪	♪		♪	♪		♪
Phrygian scale	♪	♪		♪		♪		♪	♪		♪

Spanish scale is the Phrygian scale with the one note is added to between 3rd and 4th scale degree. this note is a key point of this lecture.

Let's listen to my song using a scale related to spanish scale.

How did you like it? The sound probably gave you a Spanish vibe.

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Harmonic Minor Perfect 5th Below

Actually, the scale which is used in the sample song was not spanish scale. Then what causes that sound? Please take a look at the table below.

Spanish scale and Harmonic minor scale

	C		D		E	F		G		A		B
Spanish scale	♪	♪		♪	♪	♪		♪	♪		♪
Phrygian scale	♪	♪		♪		♪		♪	♪		♪
Harmonic Minor Perfect 5th Below (Phrygian Dominat)	♪	♪			♪	♪		♪	♪		♪

As a matter of fact, I just used the 5th mode of the harmonic minor scale also called Phrygian dominant scale. (or Phrygian scale with a raised 3rd)

Please take a look at the piano roll below. I used the natural minor scale at the part of , and then next part is harmonic minor scale.

Harmonic Minor Perfect 5th Below

Let's listen to the sample song once again.

Like Indian scale or Oriental scale, this scale has a spot which is one and a half pitch(C#-E). It seems that pitch creates an ethnic sound. And on top of that, this scale also has a harmonic pitch. Probably that is the Spanish sound.

Using 5th mode of the harmonic minor scale on the dominant chord is easy way to compose a melodic song. That's all it takes.