Exotic Scales

(thing) by chromaticblue (3.8 y) (print) ? (I like it!) 2 C!s Sat Nov 18 2000 at 22:45:38

Neapolitan Minor: C Db Eb F G Ab B C
Neapolitan Major: C Db Eb F G A B C
Oriental: C Db E F Gb A Bb C
Double Harmonic: C Db E F G Ab B C
Enigmatic: C Db E F# G# A# B C
Hirajoshi: A B C E F A
Hungarian Minor: C D Eb F# G Ab B C
Hungarian Major: C D# E F# G A Bb C
Kumoi: E F A B C E
Iwato: B C E F A B
Hindu: C D E F G Ab Bb C
Spanish 8 Tone: C Db Eb E F Gb Ab Bb C
Pelog: C Db Eb G Bb C
Hungarian Gypsy: C D Eb F# G Ab Bb C
Major Phrygian: C Db E F G Ab Bb C
Major Locrian: C D E F Gb Ab Bb C
Lydian Minor: C D E F# G Ab Bb C
Overrtone: C D E F# G A Bb C
Leading Whole Tone: C D E F# G# A# B C
Arabian: C D E F Gb Ab Bb C
Balinese: C Db Eb G Ab C
Gypsy: C Db E F G Ab B C
Mohammedan: C D Eb F G Ab B C
Javanese: C Db Eb F G A Bb C
Persian: C Db E F Eg Ab B C
Algerian: C D Eb F# G Ab B C D Eb F
Aeolian: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
Byzantine: C Db E F G Ab B C
Hawaiian: C D Eb (f grace note) G A B C
Jewish: E F G# A B C D E
Mongolian: C D E G A C
Ethiopian: G A Bb C D Eb F G
Spanish: C D f E F G Ab Bb C
Egyptian: C D F G Bb C
Japanese: C Db F G Ab C

Go back to Musical Scales

(thing) by vegemite (5.7 y) (print) ? (I like it!) 2 C!s Sat Nov 17 2001 at 19:03:56

How can you call these exotic when they're all in standard 12-tone equal temperament? Here are some real exotic scales (in cents, and ratios where applicable):

Real Overtones: 1/1-0｢ 9/8-204｢ 5/4-386｢ 11/8-551｢ 3/2-702｢ 13/8-841｢ 7/4-969｢ 15/8-1088｢ 2/1-1200｢
Just Major: 1/1-0｢ 9/8-204｢ 5/4-386｢ 4/3-498｢ 3/2-702｢ 5/3-884｢ 15/8-1088｢ 2/1-1200｢
Just Minor: 1/1-0｢ 9/8-204｢ 6/5-316｢ 4/3-498｢ 3/2-702｢ 8/5-814｢ 9/5-1018｢ 2/1-1200｢
Funky Blues: 1/1-0｢ 7/6-267｢ 4/3-498｢ 7/5-583｢ 3/2-702｢ 7/4-969｢ 2/1-1200｢

Archytas' Enharmonic: 1/1-0｢ 9/8-204｢ 7/6-267｢ 6/5-316｢ 3/2-702｢ 14/9-765｢ 8/5-814｢ 2/1-1200｢
Didymus' Chromatic: 1/1-0｢ 9/8-204｢ 6/5-316｢ 5/4-386｢ 3/2-702｢ 8/5-814｢ 5/3-884｢ 2/1-1200｢
Ptolemy's Equable Diatonic: 1/1-0｢ 9/8-204｢ 27/22-355｢ 27/20-520｢ 3/2-702｢ 18/11-853｢ 9/5-1018｢ 2/1-1200｢
(those are all the ancient Greek scales I can remember right now)

5-equal: 0｢ 240｢ 480｢ 720｢ 960｢ 1200｢
7-equal: 0｢ 171｢ 343｢ 514｢ 686｢ 857｢ 1029｢ 1200｢
17-equal: 0｢ 71｢ 141｢ 212｢ 282｢ 353｢ 424｢ 494｢ 565｢ 635｢ 706｢ 776｢ 847｢ 918｢ 988｢ 1059｢ 1129｢ 1200｢
19-equal: 0｢ 63｢ 126｢ 189｢ 253｢ 316｢ 379｢ 442｢ 505｢ 568｢ 632｢ 695｢ 758｢ 821｢ 884｢ 947｢ 1011｢ 1074｢ 1137｢ 1200｢
(those are some of the more usable equal temperaments besides 12)

And of course, Harry Partch's Amazingly Awesome 43: 1/1-0｢ 81/80-22｢ 33/32-53｢ 21/20-84｢ 16/15-112｢ 12/11-151｢ 11/10-165｢ 10/9-182｢ 9/8-204｢ 8/7-231｢ 7/6-267｢ 32/27-294｢ 6/5-316｢ 11/9-347｢ 5/4-386｢ 14/11-418｢ 9/7-435｢ 21/16-471｢ 4/3-498｢ 27/20-520｢ 11/8-551｢ 7/5-583｢ 10/7-617｢ 16/11-649｢ 40/27-680｢ 3/2-702｢ 32/21-729｢ 14/9-765｢ 11/7-782｢ 8/5-814｢ 18/11-853｢ 5/3-884｢ 27/16-906｢ 12/7-933｢ 7/4-969｢ 16/9-996｢ 9/5-1018｢ 20/11-1035｢ 11/6-1049｢ 15/8-1088｢ 40/21-1116｢ 64/33-1147｢ 160/81-1178｢ 2/1-1200｢
(This scale is so complete most of the other scales listed here can be found within it.)

If you don't see your favorite microtonal scale here, just msg me and I'll add it. Come on, I know some of you can think of a scale I haven't listed here! What about the Byzantine church modes, the Carnatic ragas, the microtonal JI scales of Niccolo Vicentino, or the atonal non-octave scales of Wendy Carlos? Come on people, suggest some stuff!

printable version
chaos

Musical scales	Ebonics began with pirates	Harry Partch	Let's all have an orgy!
Cent	microtonal	Wendy Carlos	equal temperament
Locrian	Five modes of minor pentatonic for guitar	Neapolitan	Talking like a pirate is fun but annoys people
Blues scale	music theory	Enigmatic	Whole Tone Scale
Japanese	Lydian	Medieval and Renaissance tunings and temperaments	Guide to Chord Formation : Intervals
Perl proggy for making guitar neck diagrams of scales	tuning in China	twelve-tone scale	harmonic

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