RainDog
01-28-2004, 07:43 PM
For this month?s edition of scale of the week, I will be talking about the diminished, or whole step half step, scale.
It is a very interesting and unique scale, and has many very unusual attributes. Firstly, it is unique because it is one of the only scales that are totally synthetic. This means it does not come from the overtone series, like the major scale, and can't be found in any folk or ethnic music.
This scale is made from alternating whole and half steps. Due to this fact it has some very unique properties.
Here is its numerical representation:
1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 bb7 7
Whole - Half - Whole - Half - Whole - Half - Whole - Half
And a tab in A
---------------------------------------------------------------4--5--7--8------
--------------------------------------------------4--6--7---------------------
---------------------------------------4--5--7---------------------------------
------------------------4----6---7----------------------------------------------
------------5--6---8----------------------------------------------------------
-5--7--8------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, that?s 8 tones, and two 7's. You may ask why I used the seventh note to use twice, instead of the sixth.
Well, there is no real formula to choose which scale degree to use twice, as long as you have the correct order of whole and half steps, but since this scale is most commonly played using a fully diminished seventh chord (1, b3, b5, bb7), I chose the seventh. Another interesting feature of this scale is that it is symmetrical. That means it is identical to the same scale any multiple of 3 semitones away, and repeats itself 3 semitones away. So the B, D, F, and Ab diminished scales are all the same. This also means there are only 3 separate diminished scales, for example G, Ab, and A. Licks from diminished scales can also be repeated at intervals of 3 semitones.
Playing this scale, you may notice a kind of slinky, sinuous feel to it. This is because the number of semitone gaps created by the extra note, which is 3 compared to the 2 of most diatonic scales, and its symmetry. This extra note also is useful because, when played in eighth notes, the scale resolves to its root on the first beat of the next bar, instead of the very last eight note of the same bar like traditional diatonic scales do, which is a much weaker beat.
The chord that is played the most under this scale is, as I said before, the fully diminished seventh chord. This chord is also interesting, as it is made of three minor third intervals, and any note in the chord can be used as it?s root.
Here are some grips of it
Edim7
----
-8-
-6-
-8-
-7-
----
Adim7
----
----
-5-
-4-
-6-
-5-
You can also use a normal diminished chord.
B dim
----
-3-
-4-
-3-
-2-
----
The slinky, sinister vibe from this scale, as well as its unique attributes, has made this scale popular in jazz. It can also be sometimes heard in heavy metal music, and is a favourite scale of King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp. If you want to hear this scale in action, check out "Just" by Radiohead. The ascending octaves on the electric guitar at the beginning of the song are the C diminished scale.
Here?s a link to the tab.
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/r/radiohead/just_tab.htm
I've recorded the riff and some other examples of the diminished scale in action, go to http://dry-socket.dmusic.com/ and listen to "diminished scale examples" to hear it.
Please post anything you want to add, or correct, or comment on.
:cheers:
, Raindog
EDIT: Changed chord diagrams for clarity and added a link to my recording.
It is a very interesting and unique scale, and has many very unusual attributes. Firstly, it is unique because it is one of the only scales that are totally synthetic. This means it does not come from the overtone series, like the major scale, and can't be found in any folk or ethnic music.
This scale is made from alternating whole and half steps. Due to this fact it has some very unique properties.
Here is its numerical representation:
1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 bb7 7
Whole - Half - Whole - Half - Whole - Half - Whole - Half
And a tab in A
---------------------------------------------------------------4--5--7--8------
--------------------------------------------------4--6--7---------------------
---------------------------------------4--5--7---------------------------------
------------------------4----6---7----------------------------------------------
------------5--6---8----------------------------------------------------------
-5--7--8------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, that?s 8 tones, and two 7's. You may ask why I used the seventh note to use twice, instead of the sixth.
Well, there is no real formula to choose which scale degree to use twice, as long as you have the correct order of whole and half steps, but since this scale is most commonly played using a fully diminished seventh chord (1, b3, b5, bb7), I chose the seventh. Another interesting feature of this scale is that it is symmetrical. That means it is identical to the same scale any multiple of 3 semitones away, and repeats itself 3 semitones away. So the B, D, F, and Ab diminished scales are all the same. This also means there are only 3 separate diminished scales, for example G, Ab, and A. Licks from diminished scales can also be repeated at intervals of 3 semitones.
Playing this scale, you may notice a kind of slinky, sinuous feel to it. This is because the number of semitone gaps created by the extra note, which is 3 compared to the 2 of most diatonic scales, and its symmetry. This extra note also is useful because, when played in eighth notes, the scale resolves to its root on the first beat of the next bar, instead of the very last eight note of the same bar like traditional diatonic scales do, which is a much weaker beat.
The chord that is played the most under this scale is, as I said before, the fully diminished seventh chord. This chord is also interesting, as it is made of three minor third intervals, and any note in the chord can be used as it?s root.
Here are some grips of it
Edim7
----
-8-
-6-
-8-
-7-
----
Adim7
----
----
-5-
-4-
-6-
-5-
You can also use a normal diminished chord.
B dim
----
-3-
-4-
-3-
-2-
----
The slinky, sinister vibe from this scale, as well as its unique attributes, has made this scale popular in jazz. It can also be sometimes heard in heavy metal music, and is a favourite scale of King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp. If you want to hear this scale in action, check out "Just" by Radiohead. The ascending octaves on the electric guitar at the beginning of the song are the C diminished scale.
Here?s a link to the tab.
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/r/radiohead/just_tab.htm
I've recorded the riff and some other examples of the diminished scale in action, go to http://dry-socket.dmusic.com/ and listen to "diminished scale examples" to hear it.
Please post anything you want to add, or correct, or comment on.
:cheers:
, Raindog
EDIT: Changed chord diagrams for clarity and added a link to my recording.