EPISODE 67
HEXATONIC SCALES

HOST- Jeremy Burns, Matthew Scott Phillips

GENRE- Theory

DURATION- 101:31

BUMPER MUSIC-"Prometheus Shrugged" (Area 47 Music)

ANNOUNCER- Mike Cunliffe

LISTEN

DESCRIPTION

The hexatonic scales are six note scales. In many cases we are simply adding a note to a pentatonic scale or deleting one from one of the seven modes. But there are other interesting possibilities: the blues scales, the whole tone scale, the augmented scale, the tritone scale and the elusive Prometheus scale. We will also create some of our own by combining triads. Let's listen!

KEYWORDS

SCALE- A pattern of notes, arranged in whole steps and half steps, that span an octave.

HEPTATONIC SCALE- A seven note scale.

PENTATONIC SCALE- A five note scale.

HEXATONIC SCALE- A six note scale.

ANHEMITONIC SCALE- A scale with no semitones.

SYMMETRIC SCALE- A scale that repeats the same pattern throughout.

MODE- A seven note scale made from a CYCLIC PERMUTATION of the MAJOR scale.

CYCLIC PERMUTATION- The act of using the same scale (collection of intervals in a given sequence) and creating another by starting the sequence on a note other than the given tonic.

EXAMPLES

FOR A THOUROUGH REVIEW ON PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED SCALES,
YOU MAY WISH TO LISTEN TO THE FOLLOWING EPISODES:
"05-MAJOR SCALES AND KEY SIGNATURES"
"08-MINOR SCALES AND KEY SIGNATURES"
"27-MODES"
"38-PENTATONIC SCALES"
So far, we have discussed the following HEPTATONIC scales:
We have also familiarized ourselves with the following HEPTATONIC modes:

HEXATONIC SCALES

MAJOR HEXATONIC- The major scale without scale degree 7.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

MINOR HEXATONIC- The minor scale without scale degree 6.
6 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b7

MAJOR HEXATONIC BLUES- The MAJOR PENTATONIC scale with an added b3.
1, 2, b3, 3, 5, b7

MINOR HEXATONIC BLUES- The MINOR PENTATONIC scale with an added b5.
1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7

WHOLE TONE SCALE- All whole notes. This is a SYMMETRIC scale. The same pattern repeats throughout. There is no leading tone and, therefore, no tonal center.
1, 2, 3 #4, #5, #6

AUGMENTED SCALE- This SYMMETRIC scale consists of the repeating pattern: a 1/2 step followed by a m3.
1, b2, 3, 4, #5, 6

TRITONE SCALE- This SYMMETRIC scale which consists of the MAJOR triad of the tonic plus the MAJOR triad of the note a TRITONE away from the tonic.
1, b2, 3, b5, 5, b7

PROMETHEUS SCALE- This is a MAJOR scale with a deleted scale degree 4 plus a flatted 5 and a flatted 7. It could also be referred to as a MIXOLYDIAN scale with a #4 and a deleted scale degree 5.
1, 2, 3, b5, 6, b7

MAKING HEXATONIC SCALES FROM TRIAD PAIRS

You can combine two triads (major, minor or any combination) and make a HEXATONIC scale. These two triads must be mutually exclusive. They must not share any common tones.

-MAJOR + MINOR- From a major triad and a minor triad a TONE apart. This is the same scale as the MAJOR HEXATONIC scale.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

-MAJOR + MAJOR- From a major triad and the major triad a TONE apart.
1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6

-MINOR + MINOR- From a minor triad and the minor triad a TONE apart.
1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6

-MINOR + MAJOR- From a minor triad and a major triad a SEMITONE apart.
1, b2, b3, 4, 5, b6

-DIMINISHED- From 2 major or minor (or any combo) triads a TRITONE apart.
MAJOR + MINOR= 1, b2, 3, #4, 5, 6
MAJOR + MAJOR= 1, b2, 3, #4, 5, #6
MINOR + MINOR= 1, b2, b3, #4, 5, 6
MINOR + MAJOR= 1, b2, b3, #4, 5, #6

-SPANISH PHRYGIAN- From 2 major triads a SEMITONE apart.
1, b2, 3, 4, 5, b6

MAKING HEXATONIC SCALES FROM MODES

IONIAN HEXATONIC- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

DORIAN HEXATONIC- 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6

PHRYGIAN HEXATONIC- 1, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7

LYDIAN HEXATONIC- 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6

MIXOLYDIAN HEXATONIC- 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, b7

AEOLIAN HEXATONIC- 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b7

LOCRIAN HEXATONIC- 1, b2, b3, b5, b6, b7

The LOCRIAN HEXATONIC is not mentioned much.
The above suggestion is ours, based on the use of the main 6 tones that are most responsible for the "LOCRIAN" sound.