Harmonic major scale
The harmonic major scale is major scale with a lowered sixth. Its upper tetrachord is the same as that of the harmonic minor scale.
Harmonic major scales are commonly used in jazz and have corollaries in Indian ragas.
Background
[edit]Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov considered four scales to be the "basis of harmony": the natural minor and major, and the harmonic minor and major. The harmonic major scale is a major scale with the a lowered sixth degree. American musicologist Richard Taruskin polled his colleagues about the scale and found most of them had never heard of it. At least one of Rimsky-Korsakov's peers thought he invented the scale. Anatoly Lyadov helped Rimsky-Korsakov formulate his harmonic pedagogy, and Lyadov's method was derived from his teacher Yuliy Ivanovich Iogansen.[1]: 222–6
The scale is commonly found in Claude Debussy's music.[2] Toru Takemitsu used the harmonic major scale in compositions like Coral Island and Rain Tree Sketch II. The latter was dedicated to Olivier Messiaen, whose analysis of scales was a major influence. Takemitsu's concept of the scale might have been derived from George Russell's ideas about scales where the harmonic major scale was configured as a "Lydian diminished scale".[3]
In Hindustani and Carnatic music, the harmonic major scale respectively corresponds to the Raag Nat Bhairav and Raga Sarasangi.[4]
Construction
[edit]
The scale is simply a major scale with a lowered sixth.[5] It is also the harmonic minor scale with a raised third. The chief value of this synthetic scale are the voice leading possibilities it generates. Jazz soloists often rely on its various modes.[6]
The lowered sixth provides entry to progressions that are not governed by the circle of fifths.[1]: 231ff Composers can use it to create more symmetrical harmonies.[2] In addition to the scale's minor subdominant chord, the triad built on the sixth scale degree is an augmented chord.[7]: 7
Modes of harmonic major scale
[edit]Like Ionian (or major) scale, harmonic major scale has seven modes.
| Mode | Name of scale | Degrees | Notes (on A) | Triad chords | Seventh chords | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harmonic major (or Ionian ♭6) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | 7 | 8 | A | B | C♯ | D | E | F | G♯ | A | A | Amaj7 (9, 11, ♭13) |
| 2 | Dorian-Locrian | 1 | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | ♭5 | 6 | ♭7 | 8 | A | B | C | D | E♭ | F♯ | G | A | Aο or Am♭5 | Aø7 (9, 11, 13) |
| 3 | Phrygian ♭4 (or Altered Dominant/Superlocrian ♮5) | 1 | ♭2 | ♭3 | ♭4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 | A | B♭ | C | D♭ | E | F | G | A | Am | Am7 (♭9, ♭11, ♭13) |
| 4 | Lydian ♭3 (or Jazz minor ♯4) | 1 | 2 | ♭3 | ♯4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | A | B | C | D♯ | E | F♯ | G♯ | A | Am | Ammaj7 (9, ♯11, 13) |
| 5 | Mixolydian scale ♭2 | 1 | ♭2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ♭7 | 8 | A | B♭ | C♯ | D | E | F♯ | G | A | A | A7 (♭9, 11, 13) |
| 6 | Lydian ♯2 ♯5 | 1 | ♯2 | 3 | ♯4 | ♯5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | A | B♯ | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯ | G♯ | A | A+ | A+maj7 (♯9, ♯11, 13) |
| 7 | Locrian scale  7 |
1 | ♭2 | ♭3 | 4 | ♭5 | ♭6 | 7 |
8 | A | B♭ | C | D | E♭ | F | G♭ | A | Aο or Am♭5 | Aο7 (♭9, 11, ♭13) |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Taruskin, Richard. "Rimsky-Korsakov Catches Up", Musical Lives and Times Examined: Keynotes and Clippings, 2006–2019. University of California Press, 2023. 222.
- 1 2 Tymoczko, DMitri (2004). "Scale Networks and Debussy". Journal of Music Theory. 48 (2): 245. doi:10.1215/00222909-48-2-219.
- ↑ Burt, Peter (2001). The Music of Toru Takemitsu. Cambridge University Press. p. 101, 231. ISBN 0-521-78220-1.
- ↑ Iyer, Radhika. Elements of Indian Music: The Melakarta System. Mel Bay Publications, 2018. 28.
- ↑ Haunschild, Frank (2000). The New Harmony Book. AMA-Verlag. p. 122. ISBN 9783927190689.
- ↑ Lawn, Richard; Hellmer, Jeffrey L. (1996). Jazz: theory and practice. Alfred Publishing Company. pp. 43ff. ISBN 0-88284-722-8..
- ↑ Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai (1943). Practical Manual of Harmony. Carl Fischer, LLC. ISBN 978-0-8258-5699-0.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
Further reading
[edit]- Coulombe, Adam. "Harmonic Major: Part I — Arranging Blackbird". Canadian Musician Magazine. No. July/August 2015. p. 27.
- Haerle, Dan (September 1, 1982). The Jazz Language: A Theory Text for Jazz Composition and Improvisation. Alfred Music. ISBN 978-0760400142.
- Hewitt, Michael (2013). Musical Scales of the World. The Note Tree. ISBN 978-0957547001.
- Riley, Matthew. "The 'Harmonic Major' Mode in Nineteenth-Century Theory and Practice." Music Analysis, 2004.
- Slonimsky, Nicolas (1947). Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns (First ed.). Music Sales America. p. 152, 159. ISBN 978-0-8256-1449-1.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - Willmott, Bret (1994). Mel Bay's Complete Book of Harmony Theory and Voicing. Mel Bay Publications. ISBN 1-56222-994-X.
- Yamaguchi, Masaya (2006). The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales (Revised ed.). New York: Masaya Music Service. ISBN 0-9676353-0-6.
