Harmonic Minor scale

[porkrind]

I love this scale! I'm jamming it right now. What are your favorite scales?

[TrogL]

1. whole tone and twelve-tone

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Flatted 5th & 6th

But, with the major 3rd and the dominant 7th. Great on piano, and very interesting when shredding on guitar, full tone.
The Professor

[jpgray]

3. E flat major (nt)

[Al Dente]

4. Maj (b9)

Very interesting scale. I've been toying with it and found some very cool stuff. It has three of the most important chord tones directly next to each other (7th, root, 9th), and it has the same pattern as the harmonic minor scale where it has the minor 3rd between the 6th and 7th, the Maj (b9) scale has between the b9 and the 3rd of the scale. I'm still trying to figure out if it has any relationship to the Harmonic minor scale for this reason, or if the Maj (b9) scale can be used as a substitute for harmonic minor in a modal progression. Also, since this scale has the major seventh and the b9, if maybe it is one of the only scales where the 3rd is not very important in determining the type of chord. You also get some very unique scales when you play the modes of the scale. I especially like the sound of the 4th mode, which (since I don't know any better) I am calling Lydian b6. It gives it kind of a whole tone feeling because it has whole steps between the 3rd, #4, and b6. It really makes me wonder about other chords with only one note alterations, if there is all kinds of cool stuff happening with them too. If anyone knows anything about this that I am getting wrong, or not seeing, please let me know. It's kind of perplexing me right now. Also, if this is all total bullshit, please tell me, heh.

[no name no slogan]

5. I've got a couple harmonic minor harmonicas

The Lee Oskar models. They're very cool for "eastern" sounding stuff. I actually use them for rumba/flamenco stuff, just to keep things interesting, while I play guitar.

[gottaB]

6. 4th degree blues scale, aka "dorian pentatonic"

(It should go without saying you have to be judicious with the passing tones).

First heard it used by Malian musicians Ali Farka Toure and Oumou Sangare's band. Can't let it go.


http://www.coolmaps.at/korajaliya/d/familie.htm


For guitarists:

http://archive.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/mali.shtml

[banjosareunderrated]

7. Pelog

from the grim-wah.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

8. Try sharping the fourth note in harmonic minor a half step

and you get gypsy minor, a very interesting variation.