Slonimsky - part two



Six Note Symmetric Diminished Scales

There are a total of six symmetric hexatonic scales that can be derived from the eight note diminished scale: two "daughter" scales each having three modes. I use the names Tritone Major (TM) and Tritone minor (Tm) for these scales because, respectively, each one is comprised of two mutually exclusive major and minor triads a tritone apart (i.e.: C - F# and cm - f#m).

Structures:

Tritone Major (TM)
H - +2 - W - H - +2 - W

Tritone minor (Tm)
H - W - +2 - H - W - +2

The two scale forms and modes here.
*Note that there is no direct correlation with either the dominant or tonic diminished scales.

The scales with associated patterns from The Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns (Slonimsky, N.; Charles Scribner's Sons, 1947):

Dominant Diminished (392)
• TM - mode I (7)
• Tm - mode I (6)
• Tm - mode III (11)

Tonic Diminished (393)
• Tm - mode II (10)
• TM - mode II (12)
• TM - mode III (9)

Posted: Tue - January 29, 2008 at 01:44 PM          

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