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Your Favorite Scale?

#48
NoiseNinja said:
I realize you have to play the notes that fits the music you happen to play, but what is the scale that you enjoy the sound and mood/character of the most and loves to noodle, jam in, and eventual to use when composing music, the most?

Mine absolutely has to be the Dorian Scale, love that somewhat folkish/medieval character of it that also can get quite jazzy, depending on how you chose to combine it's notes, to me there is something very warm and organic to it, an almost ancestral familiarity (I guess sort of solemn in a very down to earth and grounded way), that makes me feel good, although it is also lends it self to more melancholy moods.

Another top favorite of mine is the Double Harmonic Scale, also called the Byzantine Scale, which is pretty close to the Phrygian Major Scale, also called the Flaminco Scale or the Spanish Scale, but has an even stronger oriental character, which to me gives it sort of a mystical and slightly psychedelic vibe, beside obviously leading the thought onto Indian, but especially Middle Eastern, music.
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The one I "made up". I'm a theory ignoramus!
 
#52
That's sort of like asking what your favorite spice is - there are some staples that you use all the time when making certain dishes, and there are some that you rarely bust out of the ol' rack, but I think it's more about understanding the flavor of each one, and knowing which one to use when to get the desired outcome.

I think the real magic comes once you've really internalized the sound and feeling of a handful of scales, and then you can apply them at will to add your own twist to the music. The number of flavors that are right for you will depend on what your goal is, and there is no right answer for that. For me, this internalization has taken a loooong time, and it will be consciously practiced until my last day on this planet - whether that is through physically playing my instrument, or just being a critical listener. There's always something new to learn in this department.

So for that reason, I definitely don't have a "favorite". Even if a chart is firmly rooted in one key center, the knowledge of what not to play in order to capture a certain vibe is essential to learn. Perhaps a well placed accidental hear or there does the trick, or sometimes you may want to tear the sprinkle lid off altogether and dump a bunch in.
 
#53
allen_m said:
B Flat Major.

Ninth grade. First day of high school jazz band. Most of the group were Jrs. and Srs. and I considered them much more accomplished musicians than I was at the time, particularly the drummer and the pianist. I had owned my new Kay bass and matching solid state amp less than 24 hours but had spent the previous evening playing that scale over and over, backwards and forward. As luck would have it, the first song the director called up was in B flat. My chart just said “walking bass” and had the chord changes. I read music but didn’t really know what that meant at the time so I just played my scale up and down and around. And it worked! They thought I was a natural.
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Very good story! Thanks.
 
#57
33"

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#60
I used to think pentatonic scales were for dummies, but I've been doing a lot of technique exercises with pentatonics lately, and I get it now. One interesting thing to do is add a random additional note to a major or minor pentatonic scale, and then do your exercises and noodle around with that six note scale.
 
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