Acoustic scale

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In music the acoustic scale is a seven note scale that differs from the major scale in having a raised fourth and flattened seventh scale degree. Starting on C, it contains the notes: C, D, E, F#, G, A and Bb. It is one of the modes of the melodic minor ascending scale, and is known in jazz as the "lydian dominant" scale. The term "acoustic scale" is sometimes used to describe a particular mode of this seven note collection (e.g. the specific ordering C-D-E-F#-G-A-Bb) and is sometimes used to describe the collection as a whole (e.g. including orderings such as E-F#-G-A-Bb-C-D).

The acoustic scale appeared sporadically in the nineteenth century, notably in the works of Liszt, and appears very frequently in the works of Debussy (Tymoczko 2004). It also plays a role in the music of other twentieth century composers, including Stravinsky, and Bartok (Tymoczko 2003). It plays a major role in jazz harmony, where it is used to accompany dominant seventh chords starting on the first scale degree. (That is, the scale C-D-E-F#-G-A-Bb is used to accompany the chord C-E-G-Bb; this use of the scale is frequently found in Debussy [Tymoczko 2004]). The term "acoustic scale" seems to originate with Ernő Lendvai who used it in his analysis of the music of Béla Bartók.

The name "acoustic scale" refers to the resemblance to the first seven pitch-classes in the harmonic series. Starting on C2, the harmonic series is C2, G2, C3, E3, G3, Bb3, C4, D4, E4, F#4, G4, A4*, Bb4 ... The last seven notes spell out an acoustic scale on C4. However, in the harmonic series, the note marked with an asterisk is out of tune, being closer to Ab4 than A4. In this sense, the name "acoustic scale" is something of a misnomer.

[edit] Source

  • Lendvai, Ernő (1971). Béla Bartók: An Analysis of His Music. London: Kahn and Averill.
  • Tymoczko, Dmitri (2003). Stravinsky and the Octatonic: A reconsideration. Music Theory Spectrum 25.1: 185-202.
  • Tymoczko, Dmitri (2004). “Scale Networks in Debussy.” Journal of Music Theory 48.2: 215-292
Musical scales by edit
# | pentatonic | hexatonic | heptatonic | octatonic | chromatic
Types | Altered | Bebop | Diatonic scale | Enharmonic | Jazz scale | Minor scale
Name | Acoustic | Blues | Bohlen-Pierce | Diatonic | Double harmonic | Half diminished | Harmonic major | Lydian dominant | Major | Major locrian | Pelog | Phrygian dominant scale | Slendro
"Ethnic" name | Arabic | Gypsy | Jewish
Modes of the diatonic scale edit
Ionian (I) | Dorian (II) | Phrygian (III)
Lydian (IV) | Mixolydian (V) | Aeolian (VI) | Locrian (VII)
Modes of the melodic minor scale edit
Melodic minor (I) | Dorian b2 (II) | Lydian Augmented (III)
Lydian Dominant (IV) | Mixolydian b13(V) | Locrian #2 (VI) | | Altered (VII)