La escala mayor armónica

por Miguel Martinez el Agosto 1, 2016 para Lecciones teoría

La escala mayor armónica es una variación de la escala

mayor natural, para generarla, vamos a tomar una nota de la escala menor y vamos a incluirla dentro de
la escala mayor, de esta forma podremos conseguir sonidos nuevos a nivel melódico y nuevas
posibilidades armónicas para la escala mayor.
Como su nombre lo indica se trata de una escala que hace una variación en uno de los acordes, de esta
forma se crea un nuevo sistema armónico y melódico, en este caso se modifica el cuarto grado de la
escala mayor, esta pasa de ser un acorde mayor a ser menor.

El siguiente ejemplo dentro de la escala de C nos muestra que el cuarto grado F se convierte en Fm, esto
altera una de las notas del acorde lo que finalmente modifica la escala.

F=FAC

Fm = F Ab C

Al aplicar la nota “Ab” dentro de la escala de C se encuentra que la escala queda con la siguiente
configuración:

C D E F G Ab B C

Construcción de la escala mayor armónica

La escala mayor armónica maneja la siguiente estructura a nivel de tonos:

T T 1/2 T 1/2 1 1/2 1/2

Básicamente lo que hacemos es usar el sexto grado de la escala paralela, si tomamos como ejemplo las
escalas de C mayor y C menor tendremos lo siguiente:

C=C D E F G A B C

Cm = C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

Para crear la escala mayor armónica vamos a usar el sexto grado de la escala menor, al hacer esto
encontraremos la siguiente escala:

C D E F G Ab B C
Armonía de la escala mayor armónica
Como todas las escalas la mayor armónica también genera un paquete de acordes, estos se usan dentro
de la armonía de la escala mayor natural ya que nos ayudan a conseguir variedad.

Veamos como quedan distribuidos los acordes en la escala mayor armónica:

I ii° iiim ivm V VI(#5) vii°

Encontramos dos acordes disminuidos, dos mayores, un aumentado y dos acordes menores, de estos
acordes el mas usado dentro de la escala mayor es el ivm, este se usa para los finales de frase o para
enriquecer las progresiones armónicas.

Uso de la escala mayor armónica

A nivel melódico no es muy común encontrarla, son pocas las piezas musicales que usan esta escala
para la construcción de sus melodías, esto se debe a que normalmente el sexto grado suena como un
error y se debe ratificar varias veces para lograr que el oído lo interprete como una nota de la escala.

A nivel armónico es común encontrar el ivm, este acorde aparece en muchas piezas musicales,
usualmente precedido del IV mayor, de esta forma podemos lograr una progresión armónica de este tipo:

IV ivm I

Aunque no es un recurso muy común es una herramienta mas que podemos usar dentro de nuestras
composiciones musicales.

La formula generica para la Escala Mayor Armonica, es la siguiente:

[1-2-3-4-5-6b -7]
Si asignamos notas musicales a esa formula tenemos:
Do Mayor Armonica=[Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol- Lab -Si]
Alli puedes ver que se trata de una escala con Tonalidad Mayor, ya que la Tonica y la tercera forman un
Intervalo de Tercera Mayor.
Si construyes un acorde basado en el primer grado de la escala (Do), tienes que el primer acorde es un
acorde mayor, en este caso Do Mayor(Do-Mi-Sol). Tu puedes usar tambien un Do mayor septima( Do-Mi-
Sol-Si), o incluso un acorde mayor septima con quinta augmentada, es decir...Do maj7 5aug (Do-Mi-
Sol#-Si).
Puedes usar "Sol#" porque esa nota es enharmonica con "Lab ".
El segundo acorde puede ser un... Re disminuido septima:
Re dim7=[Re-Fa-Lab -Do].
El tercer acorde puede ser de Septima Dominante:
Mi7=[Mi-Sol#-Si-Re], la segunda nota de este acorde es "Sol#" que como ya dije antes es enharmonica
con Lab.
El cuarto acorde puede ser un acorde menor con una septima mayor:
Fa menor/ maj7=[Fa-Lab-Do-Mi]
El quinto acorde puede ser un mayor con Septima Dominante:
Sol7=[Sol-Si-Re-Fa]
El sexto acorde puede ser un mayor septima con quinta augmentada:
Lab maj7 aug5=[Lab-Do-Mi-Sol]
Y por ultimo, el acorde basado en el septimo grado de la escala puede ser un disminuido:
Si dim=[Si-Re-Fa]

Introduction

The Tonal Centre is an interactive site for music composers and theorists which explains
and demonstrates some of the key concepts of tonality; including chords, scales, cadences,
and modulation. Most of the musical examples are illustrated with a midi file - just click on
the relevant link to hear it.

The site should be of use to any composer who wishes to expand his knowledge of tonal
and scalic resources beyond that which is found in most conventional music theory
publications; and for the music theorist it should provide a valuable resource of
information and ideas which can be used for further exploration.

What is tonality ?

Tonality is a word that has been given many definitions, and most of these are very broad -
but that is because it is a concept which is easily obscured by its subtlety, and forgotten
because of its pervasiveness. Here is my attempt at a definition:

Tonality describes the relationships between the elements of melody and harmony -
tones, intervals, chords, scales, and the chromatic gamut; but particularly those types of
relationship that are characterised as hierarchical, such that one of the elements
dominates or attracts another. These relationships occur both within and between every
type of element, making a complex weave between a tone and its melodic, harmonic, and
chromatic contexts. When this weave is coherent and stable we have a tonal system which
is coherent and stable. The major and minor scale systems and the part that they play as
members of the chromatic gamut is one such system.

In its most conventional sense, tonality refers to just the major and minor scale types -
scales whose elements are capable of maintaining a consistent set of functional
relationships. The most important functional relationship is that of the tonic note and
the tonic chord with the rest of the scale. The tonic is the element which tends to assert its
dominance and attraction over all others, and it functions as the ultimate point of
attraction, rest and resolution for the scale.
What is this site for ?

My theoretical style is unconventional and some of the concepts I

introduce are quite novel, but I have used them only to enable me to
present the complexities of music in a logical and coherent fashion.
Wherever possible I use conventional and well-known terminology
in preference to the obscure, irrelevant or redundant; and yield to
my own terms only when necessary. My desire is not for theory to be
an intellectual straight-jacket which smothers spontaneity, but as a
springboard for creativity and, even more importantly, as a
 foundation for exploration. For this reason, I examine not just the
major and minor scales but also many alternative tonalities which
are capable of being tonally coherent and musically effective.

These alternative tonalities are not generally recognised in

conventional music theory, but here's hoping that some of the
examples I give can convince you that there is a lot more for the
tonal composer to experiment with, and the tonal theorist to
analyse, than just the major and the minor scale.

Harmony

A common assertion is that music has three principal elements: rhythm, melody and harmony. The purpose of
this part of the site is to examine the building blocks of harmony, which are chords.

A chord is the simultaneous combination of two or more notes. But out of all the possible combinations of
notes, some are used much more than others.

In particular the major and minor triads are felt to be the fundamental building blocks of most harmonic
music. There is something unified, something which is more than the sum of their parts, which seems to make
these triads unique in regard all other possible forms.

Certain chord types also seem to exert a powerful tonal function, such as the dominant seventh and the
augmented sixth chords, the diminished and augmented triads, and the major and minor triads when in second
inversion.

The major and minor triads

There are two types of chord which form the fundamental building blocks of harmonic
music. These are the major triad and the minor triad.

They are fundamental in that any other type of three note chord is heard as
a deviation from one of these two archetypal forms. Furthermore, both the major and the
minor triad is heard as a unified entity in itself - it is a sum which is more than its parts. So
what is it about the major and minor triads that is so unique, meaningful and pleasing to
the ear ?

Mutual consonance

The first unique quality of these two types of triad is that the intervals found between every
pair of its tones is a consonant one - both the major and minor triad contain a perfect fifth,
a major third and a minor third. They contain none of the dissonant intervals - the minor
second, major second, augmented second, diminished fourth, augmented fourth, and their
inversions.

There is no other combination of three notes in which all of the intervals are consonant.

The only other triad which appears to have full mutual consonance is the augmented triad
(1 - 3 - 5). On a piano keyboard this triad appears to contain two major thirds and a
minor sixth - all of which are consonant, but in actuality the interval between the top and
bottom tones is not the consonant minor sixth but the dissonant augmented fifth.
The augmented fifth and the minor sixth may be represented by the same number of
semitones in 12-tone equal temperament, but this does not mean that the aural effect of
these two intervals is the same.

This may seem paradoxical and somewhat pedantic, but it is not - neither in a theoretical
nor an empirical sense. The augmented fifth is a disturbing interval, even when expressed
in equal temperament.
Harmonic roots

The intervals of the octave, the perfect fifth and the major third
are rooted intervals. This means that they have a root tone at the
bottom and a tone which is subsidiary to this root at the top.

Of the two tones in these intervals, it is the root tone which most
effectively represents the pitch of the interval as a whole.

This can be demonstrated by playing each of these three intervals

and hearing how it is the root tone which, even when played in
isolation, seems somehow to define the overall pitch of the interval
itself and which seems to best represent the interval as a whole.

The subsidiary tone partially loses its own pitch identity, and
becomes a heard more as a timbral enhancement of its root.

The two notes in the rooted intervals are partially unified and are
stable in quality.

When the rooted intervals are inverted (so that the root is higher in
pitch than its subsidiary) they become unstable and tend to seek
resolution to their nearest rooted interval neighbour - so a perfect
fourth tends to resolve to a major third and a minor sixth tends to
resolve to a perfect fifth.

So far I have talked of only two notes played together - an interval is

either rooted and unified, or it isn't. When we put together three
notes, however, we can unify them in two different ways.

1. One of the tones can be a root and the other two tones
subsidiary to that one root - the major triad
2. One of the tones can be a subsidiary and the other two
tones roots to that one subsidiary - the minor triad

So we can have either a common root or a common subsidiary.

The major triad

The intervals of the root position major triad from the bass note
upwards are a perfect fifth and a major third. The lowest tone of the
root position major triad is the root of the other two notes, which
are subsidiary to this root.
 This unifies the three tones because the lowest tone is the common
root and can effectively represent the entire triad, while the two
upper tones are subsidiary in that they provide a support,
colouration and extension of this root tone.

The major triad represents two ideas:

the enhancement of the one through the sacrifice and rebirth

of the two in the one
the unification of two, otherwise independent identities
through their common sacrifice and rebirth in the one

The minor triad

The intervals of a minor triad from its fifth downwards are a perfect
fifth and a major third. The fifth of the minor triad is subsidiary to
the other two tones which are roots to this subsidiary.

This unifies the three tones because the fifth is the common
subsidiary and so serves both to support and strengthen both the
other two tones. It is the nexus of two otherwise independent
identities.

The minor triad represents two ideas:

the enhancement of the two through the sacrifice and rebirth

of the one in the two
the unification of two, otherwise independent identities
through their common enhancement

Musical emotion

The psychological effects of the major and minor triads, and their
respective tonalities, can be understood as the emotional corollaries
of these underlying ideas.

The major triad revolves around the ideas and the concomitant
emotions of order, purity, devotion, submission and worship.

The minor triad revolves around the ideas and the concomitant
emotions of sacrifice, altruism, complexity and partnership.

The first discord

In the history of Western music the dominant seventh was the first discordant chord to be
used as freely as the consonant major and minor triads. It is also the first discordant chord
that most people come across in their theory instruction.

For this reason it is a very well understood chord. The augmented sixth chord, however, is
very poorly understood despite its clear similarity to the dominant seventh chord. It can be
most easily understood by examining it in parallel to the dominant seventh type chord,
which is how I shall approach it here.

The variety of names under which the augmented sixth chord has laboured also helps to
obscure its understanding - in classical theory it is often referred to as the French sixth,
the German sixth, or the Italian sixth. In jazz this chord is most frequently described and
understood as a tritone substitution (of a dominant chord). The three classical names all
refer to chords containing a root, a major third, and an augmented sixth, but differ in their
choice of additional pitches: the German contains a perfect fifth, the French contains an
augmented fourth, the Italian contains has no fifth or fourth (in four-part harmony, the
third is usually doubled). Despite these differences the chords are functionally identical.
The dominant seventh

If you build a four note chord, consisting of thirds, and you start on
the dominant (or fifth note) of the scale, you will get the dominant
seventh chord.

This chord is spelt 1 - 3 - (5) - 7. (The 5 is bracketed because it is

often missing from the chord and it can be sharpened or flattened
without damaging or altering its function).

Over time the term "dominant seventh" referred to any chord which
uses this formula, but whose root can be on any degree and not just
the dominant.

The dominant seventh chord is felt to be unstable and actively seeks

resolution. The main motive force of this instability is the
diminished fifth between 3 and 7, which seeks resolution to a major
or minor third, with the seventh moving down and the third up. It is
exceptional for the voices which make up the dominant seventh to
move in any other way.

The most effective resolution of a dominant seventh is to a major or

minor triad whose root is a fifth below. It can also resolve effectively
to a minor triad a major second above. Resolutions to a major triad
a minor second above and the first inversion of the major triad a
major second below are also common:

Conventional resolutions of the dominant seventh:

Best Good Acceptable

G7 - C G7 - c G7 - a G7 - A G7 - Fb

V7 - I V7 - i V7 - vi V7 - VI V7 - IVb

The resolution of the dominant seventh is frequently extended with

the interpolation of a triad in second inversion which is built on the
same bass note as the resolution chord. So, instead of V7 - I, we
might get V7 - IVc - I (which, in the key of c major is: G7 - Fc - C).
The dominant seventh is frequently used as a secondary dominant
so that it can be used as a chromatic chord which resolves onto a
diatonic chord, without endangering the tonal centre. For instance
all these chords can be consider to be part of the tonality of a major
key:

I - IV | VI7 - ii | vi - II7 | V7 - I if it is heard as:

I - IV | (V7 of ii) - ii | vi - (V7 of V) | V7 - I

In c major these chords are:

C - F | A7 - d | a - D7 | G7 - C

The secondary dominant does not disturb the tonality because it

resolves onto chords which are diatonic to the key. It is possible for
secondary dominants to resolve to non-diatonic chords, and for the
secondary tonality of which this dominant is a diatonic chord to be
extended. In this case the secondary tonality can still be heard in
relation to the primary tonality, but if the secondary tonality is
extended for too long then we may well begin to hear the chromatic
secondary dominants only in relation to their own key. That is, we
will hear the music to have modulated - the point at which this
happens is probably somewhat fuzzy and also dependent on the
listener.
The augmented sixth

The augmented sixth is a chromatic chord, in that at least one of its

tones must be foreign to the key signature. This is because it
contains the interval of the augmented sixth - an interval that is not
found in the diatonic scale.

The dominant seventh is spelt 1 - 3 - (5) - 7, while the augmented

sixth is spelt 1 - 3 - (5) - 6. (The 5 is bracketed because it is often
missing from the chord and it can be sharpened or flattened without
damaging or altering its function.)

We can see how these two chords are represented on a keyboard by

exactly the same notes. The difference between these two types of
chord is in their resolution. In the dominant seventh the tritone in
the chord is resolved to a third by the third moving up and the
seventh moving down. In the augmented sixth this is reversed, so
that the tritone is resolved to a third by the third moving down and
the seventh moving up.

The most common resolution of the augmented sixth is to the major

or minor triad a minor second below. It can also resolve effectively
to a major triad a perfect fifth above:

Conventional resolutions of the augmented sixth:

 Best Good

D aug6 -C D aug6 -c Faug6 - C

VIaug6 - V
or IIaug6 - i IVaug6 - I
IIaug6 - I

Like the dominant seventh, the resolution of the augmented sixth is

frequently extended with the interpolation of a second inversion
triad on the same bass note as the resolution chord. So, instead of
VIaug6 - V, we might get VIaug6 - Ic - V (which, in c major and
including the final resolution is: A aug6 - Cc - G - C).

Just as the dominant chord is used as a secondary dominant which

resolves to a chord that is diatonic to the key, so is the augmented
sixth. The only difference is that all augmented sixth chords are
secondary, because they are all chromatic.

In common practice classical the augmented sixth is most frequently

used so that it resolves onto either V or I. The most common
progressions using augmented sixths are, therefore:

VIaug6 (- Ic) - V

IIaug6 (- IVc) - I and

IVaug6 - I.

In later classical music and jazz the augmented sixth is used to

resolve to almost any chord which can be either directly or indirectly
related to the main key centre. A familiar jazz style progression
might use something like:

V7 - Vaug6 | IVmaj7 - iimin7 | IIaug6 - Imaj7 which can be

reinterpreted as:

V7 - ( IIaug6 of IV) | IVmaj7 - iimin7 | IIaug6 - Imaj7

In c major these chords are:

G7 - G aug6 | Fmaj7 - dmin7 | D aug6 - Cmaj7

Tritone substitution

Above we have compared the dominant seventh and its parallel

augmented sixth chord. To achieve a complete understanding of this
chord we now need to compare the augmented sixth and dominant
chord whose roots differ by a tritone.

The active force in both the dominant seventh and the augmented
sixth is the tritone found between the 3 and the 7 / 6. The tritone
in G7 is f - b, whilst the tritone in D aug6 is also f - b. So the
augmented sixth and the dominant whose roots differ by a tritone,
effectively resolve to the same chord - this means that one chord can
be substituted for another. In jazz the process of substituting a
dominant seventh chord for one whose root is a tritone away is
known as tritone substitution.

For example the chord progression of a standard may be:

I | vi | ii | V7 | I

Using secondary dominants this can become:

I | III7 - vi | II7 | V7 | I

Using tritone substitution this may become:

I | VIIaug6 - vi | VIaug6 | V7 - IIaug6 | I

In jazz the tritone substitute augmented sixth is usually called,

incorrectly (but quite pragmatically), a dominant seventh type
chord.
Enharmonic Substitution

Just as we can substitute a dominant seventh and an augmented

sixth whose roots differ by a tritone, we can also substitute a
dominant seventh chord and an augmented sixth with
the same root.

Because the chords 1 - 3 - (5) - 7 and 1 - 3 - (5) - 6 are both

represented by eaxctly the same notes on the piano (i.e. in 12 tone
equal temperament), one can approach one of these chords as a
dominant seventh, but then quit it as if it were an augmented sixth,
and vice versa. It is through the means of such an enharmonic
substitution that we can effect enharmonic modulation.

For instance we could have a progression such as I - ii - V7, then

quit the V7 as if it were actually an augmented sixth - with a
progression like:

I - vi | ii - V7 / Vaug6 | viic - IV | vii which should be reinterpreted

as:

I - vi | ii - V7 / IIaug6 of V of vii | ic of vii - V of vii | i of vii

Relative to c major this is:

C - a | d - G7 / Gaug6 | bc - F | b
 Or, reversing the process we could have a progression such as I -
V7 - VIaug6, but then quit the VIaug6 as if it were actually a
dominant seventh - with a progression like:

I - IV | V7 - VIaug6 / VI7 | II which should be reinterpreted as:

I - IV | V7 - VIaug6 / V of II | II

Relative to c major these chords are:

C - F | G7 - A aug6 /A 7|D

Using this method we can modulate quickly and simply from any
key to another key differing by a minor second. Without using
enharmonic modulation these two keys are mutually very remote -
with a minimum of just two notes in common. Because of the
subtelty and sophistry of this method, enharmonic modulation must
be used with care as to its aesthetic effect.

Using enharmonic substitution many more, otherwise distant keys,

can be quickly connected.

Subdivision of the octave

The mind perceives pitch to be continuously variable - there are no "quanta" of pitch - but
in music, out of the infinite possible pitches that could be chosen from the pitch
continuum, only a limited number are used.

Usually each octave is subdivided into a small number of steps and each of these is
repeated in every octave. In almost all musical cultures notes separated by an octave are
regarded as somehow equivalent, so that, for the sake of consistency and simplicity,
divisions in any one octave are repeated in all others. Scales in which different notes are
used in different octaves, or where octaves are not found at all, are rare.

By choosing a limited number of notes the ear is given a structure that is simple enough to
be understandable and whose notes are spaced apart enough to be easily heard as different.
Ideally within any octave, each note is perceived to be fundamentally different from every
other note - each note has a unique identity. When that identity is unique enough it allows
for each note's pitch to be varied with vibrato and other decorative techniques without
losing its identity and becoming confused with other notes.

The pitches used in purely melodic musics - such as classical Arabic and Indian are
generally more flexible and complex than those used in the tonal harmonic music of
common practice classical and popular music. Within any one scale we will often find more
than seven notes and the distance between consecutive steps can be very small.

But we also find in melodic music the frequent use of both the pentatonic scale - Celtic and
Asian songs, and the seven note diatonic scale - Native American and African songs. These
common scales often sound very different to how they do in tonal harmonic music, through
generic forms of decoration and pitch variation.

On this site I will be examining in detail only those scales which are suitable for use in
tonal harmonic music.
What is a scale ?

What is it that differentiates a "scale" from simply just a "collection

of notes" ?

A scale should constitute a unified collection of notes - a selection

which is in some sense complete and to which any addition is heard
to be extraneous.

The scale should also fulfil the functions demanded of it. There are
at least three principle functions we may want a scale to fulfil:

1. to serve as a melodic resource

2. to serve as a harmonic resource
3. to be tonally effective

It may fulfil any or all of these three functions - depending on its

intended use.

The scale as a melodic resource

For a scale to be heard to be successful as a melodic resource it

should be reasonably smooth and even, without sudden gaps which
sound as if a note has been omitted, or sudden concentrations of
notes which sound as if an extraneous note has been added.

One of the most important measures of the completeness of a scale

is whether or not it can be classed as as a proper mode or not.

A mode (scale) is considered to be proper when all intervals of an

interval class are not smaller than those of lower interval classes.
This means that if we start on any note in the scale and move up
four notes the interval traversed should be larger (or the same size
as) any other interval made up from traversing three notes.

The propriety of a scale is a significant factor of scales which are

recognised to be melodically smooth.

Another important measure is consistency of the size of intervals for

each pitch class in the scale. The diatonic scale, for instance, has just
two types of second - a major and a minor second, while the
harmonic minor scale has three types of second - major, minor and
augmented. This makes the diatonic scale melodically smoother
than the harmonic minor.
The scale as a harmonic resource

In any harmonic music which uses major and minor triads, a

suitable scale must be a resource not just for melody (notes in
isolation) but for major and minor triads.

If we take major and minor triads to be the fundamental building

blocks of our harmonic system then this means that if any note
is not part of any major or minor triad then it is
serving noharmonic purpose. It is therefore extraneous to the
harmonic function of the scale, and so cannot be considered to be a
unified member of that scale.

An example of such a "scale" is: c, d, e, f, g, g , a. Here the g is part

of no triad, and so cannot be considered be a unified member of the
scale.

The other requirement for a harmonic scale is that it should not

contain any notes that allow for both a major and a minor triad to be
built on the same root. This is because in any such scale one of these
two possible thirds will always be heard as superfluous addition.

For example, in the "scale" c, d, e, f, g, a , a, b either the a or

the a is entirely superfluous to the harmonic requirements of the
scale.

This requirement forbids the use of any chromatic semitones in a

fully unified scale.

Remarkably enough, out of all possible scales there are

only five prime scales, in which every single note is a member of
at least one major or minor triad and which contain no chromatic
semitones. All of these scales contain seven notes.
The five prime scales

The prime scales are those scales in which every note is a member of
at least one major or minor triad, but which contain no chromatic
semitones.

Each of the prime scales is best considered as a set of seven different

scales or modes. Each mode of the prime scales contains the same
notes but has a different "home" note or tonic.

Both the major scale and the natural minor scale are drawn from the
same prime scale, and that prime scale is the diatonic scale. The
difference between the major scale and the natural minor is their
"home" or tonic note. If we take the notes c, d, e, f, g, a, b and
treat c as the home note then we are using the scale of c major. If,
however we take a as our home note then we are using the scale
of a natural minor.

Indeed we can construct seven different scales from the diatonic

scale by choosing each note as the home note. These seven scales are
known as the seven diatonic modes. If we use the c major scale
above, then the modes of it are as follows:

Tonic note Name of mode

f f Lydian
c c Ionian (or major)
g g Mixolydian
d d Dorian
a a Aeolian (or natural minor)
e e Phrygian
b b Locrian

As I've stated above there are five prime scales. Many of them do not
have conventional names, so I have had to use the following
descriptive terms.

The five prime scales are:

1. the diatonic
2. the harmonic minor
3. the harmonic major
4. the melodic
5. the double harmonic

Tonal harmonic scales

There is one final requirement for a scale that is to be used as a

resource for tonal harmonic music. Not only must it be a suitable
resource for melody and triads but it must also be able to support a
tonic triad. That is, it must have a chord which serves as a chord of
rest and completion, as the tonal centre against which all the other
triads are measured and towards which all gravitate.

Within each of the prime scales only one or, at most, two triads are
actually capable of functioning as tonics.

So although any of the modes of the prime scales are suitable in a

melodic music, in a tonal-harmonic music only one or, at most, two
modes of each of the prime scales are suitable.

The diatonic scale, for instance, has only two triads which are
perceived to be totally at rest, resolved and final. In the scale c, d, e,
f, g, a, b these triads are C major and a minor.

This means that there are only two tonally effective scales to be
taken from the diatonic prime - the major scale and the natural
minor (or aeolian) scale.

In total there are eight tonal harmonic scales. I will examine in

detail each of these scales under the prime scales from which they
are derived:
 The diatonic scales
The major scale
The aeolian mode
The harmonic minor scale
The harmonic major scale
The melodic scales
The (ascending) melodic minor scale
The (descending) melodic major scale
The double harmonic scales
The double harmonic major scale
The double harmonic minor scale

For an overview of effective cadential progressions in each of these

tonal scales go to The Cadence Page.

The diatonic scales

The diatonic scale is most familiar as the major scale or the "natural" minor scale (or
aeolian mode).

The diatonic scale is a very important scale. Out of all the possible seven note scales it has
the highest number of consonant intervals, and the greatest number of major and minor
triads. The diatonic scale has six major or minor triads, while all of the remaining prime
scales (the harmonic minor, the harmonic major, the melodic and the double harmonic)
have just four major or minor triads.

The diatonic scale is the only seven note scale that has just one tritone (augmented
fourth/diminished fifth). All other scales have two, or more, tritones.

The diatonic scale and the melodic scale are the only scales which have just two types of
second - the major second and minor second (represented by a whole tone and a semitone,
respectively). All the other scales also have a step size of an augmented second as well
(represented by a three semitone step), giving them three consecutive-step sizes.

The diatonic scale is also a proper mode. In fact all of the prime scales with the exception of
the double harmonic scales are proper modes.

The diatonic scale is therefore an ideal resource for both melodic and harmonic music - it
has lots of consonant triads, it has few dissonant intervals, and it is melodically smooth
with just two consecutive-step sizes.

The seven modes of the diatonic scale (Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian,
Phrygian and Locrian) were (with the exception of the Locrian) widely used in the pretonal
Western music of the Middle Ages.

In a tonal harmonic music system, however, only two of these modes are effective -
the major scale (Ionian) and the aeolian mode.
The major scale
The major scale and its triads can be represented numerically as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes

I ii iii IV V vi vii0 Chords

So if the tonic is c, the scale will consist of the following notes and
triads:

c d e f g a b Hear these notes

C d e F G a b0 Hear these chords

There are semitones between the 3rd and 4th degrees and between
the 7th and 8th degrees, and there are wholetones between all the
other adjacent notes. Using this pattern, a major scale can be built
on any starting note.

The major scale is very effective at producing a strong tonic function

on the major chord built on its home note. The only other chord
which is capable of exerting any tonic function is the vi chord. This
chord is often used as the final in a deceptive cadence. It brings
resolution, but the feeling is still there that a full resolution has not
occurred and that that is only achieved with the arrival of I.

If the vi chord did begin to sound like the full resolution, and none
of the scale notes has been altered, then we have modulated to the
relative aeolian mode. Modulation to the relative aeolian mode
usually occurs through the use of the (major scale) iii chord. This
chord tends to push the listener to reinterpret the major scale as its
relative aeolian, and to interpret what was the vi chord (and is now
the i chord) as the full tonic. It is for this very reason that
the iii chord (or mediant as it is known in many harmony textbooks)
has to be introduced so judicially and with great care to the effect it
is having. Generally speaking, the iii chord should be used only as
the harmony behind a descending scale line of 8, 7, 6 (harmonised
with, respectively I, iii, IV), or it should resolve directly to vi before
subsequently moving to a full cadence to I. Most importantly, it is
safer not to follow or precede iii with ii.

The tendency of the diatonic scale is toward the major

interpretation rather than the aeolian, so once we are in the aeolian
mode it is quite natural to drift back to its relative major scale.

Apart from the iii chord, there are no other limitations as to the use
of the chords - they can be introduced freely, at any time and in any
order. Below I will be looking at some of the more conventional
three chord progressions that function as cadences in the major
scale.
The major scale cadences
IV - V - I and ii - V - I are the classic cadential chord progressions.
They are probably the most decisive of all harmonic cadences, and
firmly establish the I chord as a chord of rest and stability, and the
root note of that chord as the home note of the key.

The strength of the cadence is affected by whether the chords are

played in root position or inverted. If all the chords are played in
root position the cadence is at its most potent.

If the V is played in first or second inversion the cadence is less

decisive.

Ending on I in its first inversion strongly establishes the key, but the
first inversion of the tonic is an unstable structure in itself so this
progression does not provide as strong a point of rest. To end on the
second inversion of I will greatly reduce the stability of the cadence -
the second inversion of either the major or the minor triad is so
unstable that it demands resolution.

The instability of the second inversion can, however, be used

to strengthen the cadence when it is used as a preparation of the
dominant chord in the following progression:

IV - I64 - V - I
(F - C64 - G - C)

This chord progression is probably the most decisive cadential

formula, and it is an extremely familiar device used to give a feeling
of completion and resolution. In this context the second inversion of
the tonic can be best understood as a decoration and extension of
the dominant chord.
The aeolian mode

The aeolian mode and its triads can be represented numerically as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes

i ii0 III iv v VI VII Chords

So if the tonic is c, the scale will consist of the following notes and
triads:

c d e f g a b Hear these notes

c d0 E f g A B Hear these chords

There are semitones between the 2nd and 3rd degrees and the 5th
and 6th degrees, with wholetones between all other consecutive
degrees. Using this formula the aeolian mode can be built on any
 starting note.

The modes of the diatonic scale are most commonly found in

medieval music and folk music, so using them can suggest a
somewhat "ancient" quality.

The aeolian mode is generally avoided in common practice classical

music, because its cadences are less decisive than the harmonic
minor scale's. But the softer and more relaxed sound of the aeolian
tonality, has been used by twentieth century composers, such as
Ravel and Vaughan Williams, seeking to expand the conventional
tonal resources bequeathed by composers of the nineteenth. It is
also found in some modern pop and dance music, where the use of
the altered seventh of the harmonic minor scale can sound like a
clumsy and unnecessary device.

The aeolian mode can easily drift into its relative major scale. This is
best avoided by not using progressions that are reminiscent of the
major mode cadences (such as aeolian: VI - VII - III which is
equivalent to major: IV - V - I), and through frequent use of
the v preceding or proceeding iv or VI.
The aeolian cadences

The aeolian mode cadences are much softer than those found in the
harmonic minor scale. They are less decisive, but they have an
understated, calm and relaxed quality which can be both effective
and appealing.

The short piece below uses a chord progression which harmonizes

an a aeolian melody. The chords are:

i | v | VII | i | VI | VII | iv v | i :|

a | e | G | a | F | G | d e | a :|

and the piece is called Aeolian Wave (midi).

The harmonic minor scale

The harmonic minor scale has just one tonally effective mode and that is the scale conventionally known as the
harmonic minor scale. It is spelled, in numerical form (relative to the major scale):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes

i ii0 III+ iv V VI vii0 Chords

If the tonic is c, the notes and chords are:

c d e f g a b Hear these notes

c d0 E + f G A b0 Hear these chords

The harmonic minor scale is well known to common practice classical music because it is
the harmonic foundation of minor mode music. It is, however, avoided as the melodic foundation because of
the "unmelodic" augmented second found between its sixth and seventh degrees.

Conventionally when the sixth degree proceeds to the seventh the sixth degree is raised by a chromatic
semitone, and when the seventh degree proceeds to the sixth the seventh degree is lowered by a chromatic
semitone. Both of these devices transform the augmented second into a major second.

These devices are used simply to smooth the melodic line without disturbing tonal function in the scale too
drastically, although repeated use of the natural sixth will weaken the tonal function of the scale. It is not
necessary though, and the melodic leap between the sixth and seventh degree can be used as an interesting
feature.

The reason that the harmonic minor scale is used as the harmonic foundation of the minor mode is that,
despite its melodic deficiencies, its tonality is very powerful and unambiguous, whereas the tonality of the
aeolian mode is weak and easily displaced, and the tonality of the melodic minor is even weaker and more
ambiguous. In a sense the harmonic minor scale is the "default" scale to which the melodic variations must
return in order for the tonality to be maintained. By using it as the harmonic resource for the minor mode one
is emphasising its fundamental role in maintaining tonal function.

There are, of course seven modes of the harmonic minor scale just as there are with the diatonic scale, none of
them have common names, and it is only the harmonic minor which is tonally effective.

The harmonic major scale

The harmonic major scale has just one tonally effective mode which is named after its parent prime.

It is spelled in numerical form (relative to the major scale):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes

I ii0 iii iv V VI+ vii0 Chords

So if the tonic is c, then the scale consists of the following notes and chords:

c d e f g a b Hear these notes

C d0 e f G A + b0 Hear these chords

It has semitones between its 5th and 6th degrees and between its 7th and 8th degrees. It has three types of
second - major, minor and augmented, making it less melodically smooth than the diatonic scales.

It is, however, very effective tonally, with the tonic on I being very decisive and quite unambiguous.

Indeed this scale is often substituted for the major scale as it can strengthen the tonality. It is from this scale
that perhaps the two most common chromatic chords in the major scale are derived - the minor subdominant
(iv) and the diminished supertonic (iio).

The harmonic major scale is not usually used for an extended period of time because of its melodic and
harmonic deficiencies compared to the major scale. But outside of the stylistic conventions of common practice
music which avoid augmented seconds and prefer major and minor triads to augmented and diminished it can
be very effective as a medium for tonally centred expression.

The melodic scales

The melodic scale can be represented by these notes: c, d, e , f, g, a, b.

The melodic scale is proper, and, like the diatonic scale, it is smooth with only two sizes of
second (major and minor second). This makes the scale particularly suitable for melodic
purposes, including improvisation. The two tonal scales which can be derived from it are,
however, amongst the least effective and convincing at providing a tonic of all the tonal
scales.

Two of the other modes of this scale are very familiar in jazz circles as melodic modes used
as the basis for improvisation (or indeed composition) over dominant seventh type chords.
These two modes are usually called the lydian dominant scale and altered scale.

These two jazz modes and the two tonal harmonic scales are listed below. They are all
taken from the same melodic scale (c, d, e , f, g, a, b) and the name of each scale is listed
next to its home note. It should be stressed here that neither the lydian dominant scale nor
the altered scale has a tonic triad on its home note, because that is the root of the
(unstable) dominant chord over which it is used. The term "home note" is used only to
indicate that this note is the most convenient reference point of the scale since it matches
the root of the chord over which it is used.

Home note Name of mode

e
f f lydian dominant (or lydian flat 7)
c c (ascending) melodic minor
g g (descending) melodic major
d
a
b b altered

The melodic scale above has two triads which are capable of functioning as tonics: c minor
and G major, so these are the tonics of the two tonally effective modes of the melodic scale
- the (ascending) melodic minor scale and the (descending) melodic major scale.

Both of these scales can be understood to be melodic "improvements" of the harmonic

minor and harmonic major scales respectively, although the strength of the tonic in both
these melodic scales is weaker than in their harmonic counterparts.
The melodic minor scale

The melodic minor scale is represented numerically (relative to the

major scale):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes

i ii III+ IV V vi0 vii0 Chords

So if the tonic is c, the notes and chords of this scale are:

c d e f g a b Hear these notes

c d E + F G a0 b0 Hear these chords

There are semitones (minor seconds) between the 2nd and 3rd
degrees and between the 7th and 8th degrees, and wholetones
(major seconds) between all the other adjacent degrees. Using this
formula the melodic minor scale can be built on any note.

The scale is most frequently encountered as a temporary

substitution for the harmonic minor scale in order to smooth the
melodic line from the sixth to the seventh degree without disturbing
the tonic function on i.

In common practice classical it is rarely used in isolation for any

extended period of time. This is largely because its tonic is not so
effective as that of the harmonic minor scale. Repeated use
of ii or IV in a minor mode tend to make the tonic sound like a
slightly artificial alteration of a major tonic.
The melodic major scale

The melodic major scale is spelled (relative to the major scale):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes

I ii0 iii0 iv v VI+ VII Chords

If c is our tonic then the notes and chords in this scale are:

c d e f g a b Hear these notes

C d0 e0 f g A + B Hear these chords

It is so named because it is a mirror of the (ascending) melodic

minor scale. In the melodic minor scale the 6th and 7th degrees of
the diatonic aeolian mode are sharpened, in the melodic major scale
the 6th and 7th degrees of the diatonic major scale are flattened.

What a strange, wonderful and under-used scale this is ! It has a

very usable (if a little unstable) tonic function on I. To me it evokes
Eastern European folk melodies, with its yearning flattened sixth
and its mellow and relaxed flattened seventh degree, but it has been
mostly ignored by classical composers.

Perhaps this is a reflection of the incorrect theoretical belief that the

dominant (V) chord has to be major, for the I (i) to have any tonic
function. But the melodic major scale proves this to be nothing more
 than dogma. In this scale the leading tone is not the 7 (which
resolves to 1), but the 6 which resolves to fifth of the tonic triad.
This leading tone is found in the subdominant (iv), so here the
subdominant takes on the role that is usually taken on by the
dominant in the major and minor scales. Certainly, alternating
between v and I will displace the tonicity of the latter triad, but
providing that iv is interposed between them, the minor dominant is
fairly safe.

The piece of music below is set entirely within the scale of g melodic
major.

The Dance (midi file).

It's chord progression is:

I x 9 | VII | iv | I |
I x 9 | VII | ii0 | v | iv | I | - |
I | - | ii0 | - | I | - | VII | - |
I | - | iv | v | VII | v | I | - |
I x 9 | VII | iv | I | - | ii0 (over 1) | - | I | - |

Gx9|F|c|G|
G x 9 | F | a0 | d | c | G | - |
G | - | a0 | - | G | - | F | - |
G|-|c|d|F|d|G|-|
G x 9 | F | c | G | - | a0 (over g)| - | G | - |

The double harmonic scales

The double harmonic scale can be represented by the following notes c, d , e, f, g, a , b.

This is the only prime scale that is not proper, and with three types of second (major,
minor and augmented) it is a melodically rough scale.

The augmented seconds certainly give the scale a North African or Middle Eastern flavour,
and make it quite unsuitable for common practice classical, where the augmented second is
considered to be unmelodic.

In the scale above there are two triads which are able to function as tonics: C major
and f minor. This gives us two tonally effective modes derived from this prime scale:
the double harmonic major and the double harmonic minor.
The double harmonic major scale

The double harmonic major scale and its triads are represented
numerically as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes
I II iii iv V( 5)
VI+ II7 Chords

So if the tonic is c, the scale will consist of the following notes and
triads:

c d e f g a b Hear these notes

C D e f G( 5)
A + D 7 Hear these chords

This scale is usually found as a temporary alteration of the standard

major scale. But it can be sustained at length because it supports a
strong tonic function on the I triad.

The melodic deficiencies, and the difficulty of simultaneously

avoiding parallel fifths and augmented intervals make this scale
difficult to use in a manner consistent with common practice
classical. But outside of this stylistic convention it can provide some
quite extravagant harmonic progressions and is a fertile source of
inspiration.

With two augmented seconds - between 2 and 3 and between

6 and 7 - this scale has a somewhat non-western sound to it.
Augmented seconds are common in the musics of North Africa, the
Middle East and Eastern Europe, though they were considered
unmelodic in common practice classical music.

This scale provides us with the strange, but effective, cadence of iii -
II - I.

It also provides the much more common IIaug6 - I, whose penult is

described in classical theory texts as the German, French or Italian
Sixth chord, and in jazz theory texts as the Altered Dominant. In
both classical and jazz, this cadence is frequently used as
a secondary cadence, resolving to IV or V in the scale (i.e. Vaug6 -
IV, and VIaug6 - V).

In the following piece of music I have started off sweetly in

the c major scale, before veering off into the darker regions of
the c double harmonic major scale. The music ends with the
cadence G7( 5) - D - C.

Descent (midi).
The double harmonic minor scale

The double harmonic minor scale and its triads are represented
numerically as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes

i II( 5)
III+ VI7 V VI vii Chords
 If the tonic is c, the scale will conist of the following notes and
triads:

c d e f g a b Hear these notes

c D( 5)
E + A 7 G A b Hear these chords

This scale provides the unique cadence of VI - vii - i.

Of all the scales I have examined on this site this is perhaps the
strangest and certainly the most obscure. The tonic function of
its i triad is very weak and it is easily displaced by its relative double
harmonic major scale. It can only be maintained with careful
compositional aforethought.

This along with its melodic deficiencies make it an extremely rare

occurrence. This alone should give the curious composer enough
reason to use it now !

What is a cadence ?

A cadence is the point at which a piece of music is brought to a close. It is a resolution of discord, a point of
stability, rest and consonance.

There are differing degrees of closure - it may be the absolute end of a symphony or pop song, or a brief pause
at the end of a musical phrase. Each type of closure demands that its cadence be articulated with the harmonic,
melodic, rhythmic and dynamic means necessary to its function.

In the following two pages I will be examining the harmonic means of articulating a cadence in tonal and
harmonic music (i.e. music which can be said to have a sense of key, and uses chords).

Cadential Progressions - here I examine chord progressions that function effectively as cadences in each of the
eight tonal harmonic scales. These include many unconventional and unusual progressions.

Cadential Forms - here I examine in detail the different ways that these cadential progressions can be
presented and altered to achieve different tonal effects.

Cadential progressions

Certain chord progressions seem to express tonal function - some of the chords appear to
be active and unstable and seek resolution, while other chords seem inherently passive,
stable and resolved.

A cadential progression is one in which the tonal function of each of the chords involved is
clearly audible, and which also resolves onto a chord of rest and resolution. This final
chord gives a sense of closure and completion and it is known as the tonic triad.

For the tonal function of each of the chords to be apparent, each must be heard within the
context of one of the eight tonal harmonic scales. For this to happen a cadence must be
constructed with a minimum of three major or minor triads, or two chords when the first is
either a dominant seventh or an augmented sixth.

Below I examine effective three triad and two chord cadences from each of the eight tonal
harmonic scales.

Three triad cadences

Two chord cadences

Three triad cadences

If we use only the major and minor triads - but not diminished and
augmented triads or any four note chords - then any effective
cadence must contain at least three chords.

These three chords can be named the antepenult (the first triad),
the penult (the second triad) and the final (the last triad). The aim
of any cadential progression is to set up a harmonic tension between
the antepenult and the penult which is released by the final. The
final, therefore, takes on a quality of resolution, completion and
stability.

The table below lists progressions which function well as three-triad

cadences. They are organised in rows according to the scale from
which they are derived, with the more effective scales at the top, and
the more effective cadences on the left.

This means that the more familiar cadences (such as ii - V - I and iv

- V - i) are at the top left of the chart, while the more unusual and
ambiguous ones are found towards the bottom of the chart.

All of the cadences are harmonised in four parts. I have kept all of
the progressions in a similar register and they are all at the same
tempo and volume, to enable comparison to be made between them.
In some of the progressions the antepenult or penult has been
placed in first inversion to improve the voice-leading. Please note
that this selection is not, and probably never can be, complete.

IV - V - I ii - V - I V - ii - I V - IV - I iii - ii - I iii - IV - I Major

v - iv - i VII - iv - i VI - VII - i iv - VII - i VI - v - i iv - v - i Aeolian

iv - V - i V - iv - i VI - V - i V - VI - i - - Harmonic Minor

iv - V - I V - iv - I iii - iv - I - - - Harmonic Major

IV - V - i ii - V - i - - - - Ascending Melodic Minor

v - iv - I VII - iv - I - - - - Descending Melodic Major

iii - II - I - - - - - Double Harmonic Major

 VI - vii - i - - - - - Double Harmonic Minor

Two chord cadences

A cadence can also consist of just two chords - a penult and a final.
For any two chord cadence to be definite and effective, the penult
must be a dominant seventh, augmented sixth, diminished or
augmented type of chord.

I will be considering only the dominant seventh and augmented

sixth type chords here.

The table below lists effective two chord cadences. They are
organised in rows according to the scale from which they are
derived, with the more effective scales at the top, and the more
effective cadences on the left.

All of the cadences are harmonised in four parts. I have kept all of
the progressions in a similar register and they are all at the same
tempo and volume, to enable comparison to be made between them.
In some of the progressions the penult has been placed in first
inversion to improve the voice-leading. Please note that this
selection is not, and probably never can be, complete.

V7 - I - - - - - Major / Harmonic Major

VII7 - i - - - - - Aeolian

V7 - i - - - - - Harmonic Minor

VII7 - I - - - - - Descending Melodic Major

IIaug6 - I - - - - - Double Harmonic Major

IIaug6 - i IVaug6 - I VII7 - I I7 - i III7 - I V7 - i Extra-Scalic Cadences

A cadential muddle !

If you look at the "Cadence" chapter of a few conventional harmony textbooks you will come across many terms
such as the
following: authentic cadence, plagal cadence, perfect cadence, imperfect cadence, full cadence, half cadence, in
terrupted cadence, deceptive cadence, etc..

The list of names is quite bewildering and, what's more, different writers have given contradictory definitions
as to what some of these terms actually mean.

I shall attempt to clear up some of the muddle by using only those terms which are necessary to describe every
type of cadence, and by using the most commonly known of these terms when there is a choice. I shall also
describe the psychological effect of each of the cadential types.

It must be remembered that all of these different types of cadence have been defined in reference only to the
conventional major and minor tonalities. Their relevance to the more unusual scales and cadential
progressions that I describe on The Cadence Page will be discussed at the end.
Types of cadence:

The different types of conventional cadence can be covered with just

the following terms:

Authentic cadence
Perfect
Imperfect
Plagal cadence
Half cadence
Deceptive and interrupted cadence
Authentic cadences

The authentic cadence is one whose penult is V and whose final

is I or i. In the major and minor tonalities this is the strongest type
of cadence and powerfully determines the key centre. How strongly
the final is felt to be at rest, depends on whether or not the authentic
cadence is perfect or imperfect.

The perfect cadence is always authentic - it uses a V - I or V -

i progression, but both triads are in root position, and the tonic note
of the scale is in the highest part.

This is the most decisive cadence and the I (i) chord is felt to be very
conclusive. Its strongest version is in the extended cadence IV - Ic -
V - I, which is commonly used as the final ending in long pieces of
music.

The perfect cadence can be seen as analogous to a full-stop.

The imperfect cadence is also always authentic, but now the

triads are not in root position, and/or the tonic is not in the highest
part.

When the tonic note is not in the highest part, it slightly weakens
the decisiveness of the conclusion.

When the V is inverted, it weakens the decisiveness and strength of

the progression.

When the I (i) is inverted, it weakens the conclusiveness of the tonic

to a much greater degree. Although the key centre is strongly
established by this progression, it does not provide a proper sense of
conclusion because the inversions of the triads are not, in
themselves, stable entities. Such a cadence is often used where a
perfect cadence would seem overly emphatic - it does not check the
flow of the music too severely. This type of cadence is perhaps
analogous to a comma.

One should not be too emphatic in deciding whether or not an

authentic cadence is perfect or imperfect - its ultimate effect is also
strongly influenced by its context and there is really a continuum
between the two. I have simply defined the perfect cadence such
that it only represents the most emphatic relationship between
penult and antepenult.
Plagal cadence

The plagal cadence is usually defined as one whose penult is IV and

whose final is I (or whose penult is iv and whose final is i).

Some theorists have widened its definition to include cadences

whose penult is on the subdominant (flat) side of the tonic e.g. ii - I.

In my opinion, the term is best used to describe cadences in which

the penult contains the tonic degree. The only triads which contain
the tonic degree (except for I and i) are IV, iv, VI and vi.
The vi triad is not found as the penult in any effective cadence and
so it can be ignored.

This gives the following endings: IV - I, iv - i, iv - I, IV - i, VI - i.

All of these cadences have a penult which can also harmonise the
tonic note. This is why the plagal cadence is sometimes called the
"Amen cadence" because of its use at the end of hymns. They give a
gentle ending and the penult gives the effect of being a delayed or
decorated resolution to the final.

The plagal cadence is frequently used after a perfect cadence,

because it is not as tonally decisive as the perfect cadence. In such a
progression the perfect cadence has strongly asserted the tonicity
of I (i), allowing the subsequent plagal cadence to decorate this
bedrock.

It is hard to find a grammatical analogue for the plagal cadence, but

perhaps it can be described as the words "The End" at the end of a
film - we know the film has ended, we're just getting a little
decoration and confirmation.

It can also be employed at the end of a phrase in the middle of a

musical flow, in which case it is more akin to a comma.
Half cadence

The half cadence is the same as an authentic cadence except that it

is not completed - the cadence proceeds as usual, but it stops on
the V chord. The V is frequently preceded by I 64.

This cadence provides a sort of temporary pause, but it is not a

completion, resolution or a point of rest. It does, however, strongly
assert the tonality.
Deceptive and interrupted cadences

These two terms are generally considered to be synonymous, but I

have chosen to make a distinction between them. I have done this to
more clearly define two similar, but different, types of cadential
progression.

These cadences are the same as the authentic, except that instead of
resolving from V to I (i) they resolve to another chord. The effect of
this progression is dependent on the chord to which they resolve.

Deceptive

When V resolves to vi it sounds like a very effective resolution

because vi is able to function as a genuine tonic - i.e. as a chord of
rest and resolution. In this way this cadence is genuinely deceptive -
the ear is expecting something, but it is given something else which
has such a similar function that it is not easily detected - the ear is
fooled.

There are other chords which may be deemed to be deceptive finals -

IVb and I7 are good examples. The IV is usually used in its first
inversion and sounds similar to vi. I7 sounds like I but it has a
different function - as a dominant seventh it cannot function as an
effective tonic (in common practice tonal harmony) and seeks
resolution to a triad a fifth below. Due to their similarity to genuine
tonics both these chords have been introduced deceptively. Any
other chords which bear similarity to the genuine tonics
of I, i and vi, can be introduced deceptively.

Interrupted

When the V chord resolves to a chord which bears no relation to a

true tonic, the cadence can be described as interrupted. It sounds
like a normal cadence, but it suddenly changes tack and instead of
resolving it moves to a completely place. The cadence has been
interrupted.

Please remember that there is no distinction made between the

interrupted and deceptive cadences in conventional music theory,
they are simply synonyms and either will be chosen at the behest of
the author. The distinction is one that I have made for the purpose
of extra clarity.
The application of these cadential forms to the tonal scales

The cadential forms that I have described were invented to be used

with the conventional major and minor scales. There is nothing,
however, to stop their use in the more unusual scales described in
 the Scales Page.

We may summarise the forms above to be those which complete

their resolution (full cadences), and those which stop on the
penultimate chord (the half cadences); cadences which contain the
tonic note in both the penult and final (plagal cadences), and finally
all those cadences which resolve to a chord other than that expected
(deceptive or interrupted cadences).

These four types of form, which are each felt to be of enough

significance to deserve their own description, can be applied to any
cadential chord progression from the eight tonal harmonic scales.

HARMONIC MAJOR SCALE AND ITS MODES

GRADE NAME NOTES NOTES TRANSPOSED IN C

I HARMONIC MAJOR

II DORIAN b5

III PHRYGIAN b4

IV LYDIAN b3

V MIXOLYDIAN b9

VI LYDIAN AUGMENTED #2

VII LOCRIAN bb7

HARMONIC MAJOR

Alternative names: Ionian flat 6

It starts from the first grade of harmonic major scale

HARMONIC MINOR C D Eb F G Ab B C

HARMONIC MAJOR C D E F G Ab B C

Structure: 2212131

chords over first notes:

Triad: Seventh chord: Complete chord:

major major seventh

Chord simbols: C, C(maj7), C^, C9(maj7), C^9, C^(b6), C^(b13)

Enharmonic chord simbols: C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5), C^9(#5)

DORIAN b5

Alternative names: Locrian sharp 2 sharp 6, Dorian flat 5

It starts from the second grade of harmonic major scale

Structure: 2121312

chords over first notes:

Triad: Seventh chord: Complete chord:

 diminished half diminished

Chord simbols: Cm7(b5), Cm9(b5), CØ, CØ9

PHRYGIAN b4

Alternative names: Phrygian flat 4, Superlocrian natural 5, Superphrygian

It starts from the third grade of harmonic major scale

Structure: 1213122

chords over first notes:

Triad: Seventh chord:

minor minor seventh

Enharmonic interpretation:

chords over first notes:

Triad: Seventh chord:

major dominant
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7, C7(#5), C7(b9 #9 b13)

LYDIAN b3

Alternative names: Lydian flat 3, Jazz Minor sharp 4, Jazz Minor #11, Lydian Diminished

It starts from the fourth grade of harmonic major scale

Structure: 2131221

chords over first notes:

Triad: Seventh chord: Complete chord:

minor minor with major seventh

Chord simbols: Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm^9, Cm^(#11)

Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm^(b5)

MIXOLYDIAN b9

Alternative names: Mixolydian flat 2

It starts from the fifth grade of harmonic major scale

Structure: 1312212

chords over first notes:

Triad: Seventh chord: Complete chord:

major dominant
Chord simbols: C, C7, C7(b9), C13(b9)

LYDIAN AUGMENTED
#2

Alternative names: Lydian sharp 2 sharp 5

It starts from the sixth grade of harmonic major scale

Structure: 3122121

chords over first notes:

Triad: Seventh chord: Complete chord:

augmented major seventh with augmented fifth

Chord simbols: C+, Cmaj7(#5), C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5 #9 #11)

Enharmonic chord simbols: C^(b5), Cm^(b5)

LOCRIAN bb7

Alternative names: Locrian diminished 7

It starts from the seventh grade of harmonic major scale

Structure: 1221213

chords over first notes:

 Triad: Seventh chord:

diminished diminished

Chord simbols: Cdim, C°, C°7

Harmonic Major Scale

In a previous lesson we talked about the harmonic minor scale, which is
created for the purpose of creating new harmonies within the natural minor
scale. In this lesson, we’ll compare a few “minor-ish” scales, and talk about a
new synthetic scale possibility that emerges from this comparison.
Minor-ish Scales
The minor-ness of a scale is a product of how many minor notes it has. In
any diatonic system, only the tones 2, 3, 6 and 7 are described in minor form.
Alterations to the fourth and fifth, such as ♯4 are described as augmented or
diminished (or sometimes just “altered”, meaning either or both of the two.)
Since the natural minor scale does not have ♭2, we can toss that out and say
that the minor-ishness of a scale relates mostly to its 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees.
If we list all possible scales that can be produced by altering these degrees
of the major scale, we’ll end up with 6 possibilities. We can even arrange
some common scales and modes according to how “minor” they sound.
Scale Name 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Mixolydian Mode 1 2 3 4 5

Harmonic Major 1 2 3 4 5

Melodic Minor 1 2 ♭3 4 5
 Dorian Mode 1 2 ♭3 4 5

Harmonic Minor 1 2 ♭3 4 5

Natural Minor 1 2 ♭3 4 5

The harmonic major scale is the only possible combination which is neither
considered a part of minor scale harmony, nor derived as a mode of the major
scale. So it presents some new and unique possibilities. It revolves around a
tonic chord which is that stable and happy major chord we have become so
familiar with, but the ♭6 lends to it a powerful darkness.
Harmonic Major Notation

One interesting feature of the harmonic major scale is that it shares the
chromatic note implied by its relative minor (if also in harmonic form). For
instance, the C major scale has a relative minor scale of A minor. And if you
turn that scale into a harmonic minor, you’ll raise the 7th, adding G♯.
Enharmonically, that G♯ is the same as the A♭ needed to build a C harmonic
major. Of course, they don’t share all of their notes; the C harmonic major
does not have an A♮, and the A harmonic minor does not have a G♮.
Chords Constructed from the Harmonic Major Scale

One great way to exploit the features of this scale is to “pretend” you’re in
C major with a I-V, then turn it around into something different altogether with
a IIo or a IV-.
Example Chord Progression
I V IIo IIImin
C G7 D-7♭5 Emin