Exotic scales.

Written by Morten Gjermundsen (trollstjerne@yahoo.no)

In this lesson we will look at some exotic scales.There is lots of great scales here so try to use them in your guitar jams and you may create some wild and beautiful music.Click on the scale names to hear them in midi.

Neapolitan minor
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------0--1--------|
|--------1--3--------------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Neapolitan major
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------0--2--------|
|--------1--3--------------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Oriental
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|-----------------2--3-----|
|--------2--3--4-----------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Double harmonic
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------0--1--------|
|--------2--3--------------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Enigmatic
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------1--3--------|
|--------2--4--------------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Hirajoshi
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|-----------------2------|
|-----------2--3---------|
|--0--2--3---------------|
|------------------------|
Hungarian minor
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------0--1--------|
|--------1--4--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Hungarian major
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|--------------0--2--3-----|
|-----1--2--4--------------|
|--3-----------------------|
|--------------------------|
Kumoi
|------------------------|
|--------------1--5------|
|--------2--4------------|
|--2--3------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
Iwato
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|--------------2--4------|
|--------2--3------------|
|--2--3------------------|
|------------------------|
Hindu
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|--------------0--1--3-----|
|--------2--3--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Spanish 8 tone
|--------------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------------|--1----------------|
|--------------------1--3--|-------------------|
|--------1--2--3--4--------|-------------------|
|--3--4--------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------------|-------------------|
Pelog
|------------------------|
|-----------------1------|
|-----------0--3---------|
|--------1---------------|
|--3--4------------------|
|------------------------|
Hungarian gypsy
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|--------------0--1--3-----|
|--------1--4--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Major phrygian
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|--------------0--1--3-----|
|--------2--3--------------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Major locrian
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|--------------0--1--3-----|
|--------2--3--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Lydian minor
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|-----------------1--3-----|
|--------2--3--4-----------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Overrtone
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|--------------0--2--3-----|
|--------2--4--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Leading whole note
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------1--3--------|
|--------2--4--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Arabian
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|-----------------1--3-----|
|--------2--3--4-----------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Balinese
|------------------------|
|-----------------1------|
|-----------0--1---------|
|--------1---------------|
|--3--4------------------|
|------------------------|
Gypsy
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|-----------------1--4-----|
|--------2--3--5-----------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Mohammedan
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------0--1--------|
|--------1--3--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Javanese
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|--------------0--2--3-----|
|--------1--3--------------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Persian
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|-----------------1--------|
|--------2--3--4-----------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Algerian
|--------------------------|--------1------------|
|-----------------------1--|--3--4---------------|
|--------------0--1--4-----|---------------------|
|--------1--4--------------|---------------------|
|--3--5--------------------|---------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------|
Byzantine
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------0--1--------|
|--------2--3--------------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Hawaiian
|--------------------------|
|--------------------0--1--|
|--------------0--2--------|
|--------1--3--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------------------|

(F=Grace note)
Jewish
|-----------------------0--|
|-----------------1--3-----|
|-----------2--4-----------|
|--2--3--4-----------------|
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
Mongolian
|------------------------|
|-----------------1------|
|--------------2---------|
|--------2--5------------|
|--3--5------------------|
|------------------------|
Ethiopian
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------0--|
|--------------0--1--3-----|
|--------1--3--------------|
|--3--5--------------------|

(The B and E can also be natural and the F can be sharp)
Spanish
|--------------------------|
|-----------------------1--|
|--------------0--1--3-----|
|--------2--3--------------|
|--3--4--------------------|
|--------------------------|
Egyptian
|------------------------|
|-----------------1------|
|-----------0--3---------|
|--------3---------------|
|--3--5------------------|
|------------------------|
Japanese
|------------------------|
|-----------------1------|
|--------------1---------|
|--------3--5------------|
|--3--4------------------|
|------------------------|

Now we have looked at over 30 scales.If you search on the internet im sure youīll find even more exotic scales.I have to admit that i haveīnt studied these scales for to long..I have just learned and practiced them for a little while and thought i should share them with you.You may notice that some of these scales even share the same notes.Why? I donīt know.But when i find it out i will get back to it.Use these scales for fun and play something new.Thatīs all i can say.

Other scales.

Scales and modes Modes Pentatonic scales

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