User:Aura/Aura's Melodic Scales

Introduction

Some musicians are familiar with the Melodic Minor scale, though they assume that in using it, one needs to raise the sixth and seventh degrees while ascending, and lower them to match Aeolian Mode while descending, though this is actually not the case. Rather, the sixth and seventh degrees need to be consistently raised to match Ionian mode when using this scale as a basis of tonality. Furthermore, there is a mode of the Melodic Minor scale which is like the Aeolian mode except for a natural third, so in order to remain neutral on the Major and Minor distinction concerning the name of this mode set, I'm referring to it as the Melodic scale. Furthermore, unlike with the Diatonic scale, most of the modes of the Melodic scale don't have consistent names other than nomenclature such as "Dorian b2" for the second mode in rotational order, though Diatonic-derived apposite names do exist, though respelling is in some cases recommended for clarity. However, I have seen a few options that might work, especially as just like with the Diatonic modes each taking different optimal tunings and thus, splitting apart into different scales, it pays to have logical names for the modes of these new scales. As with the Diatonic Scales, I'm retaining 27/16 as my default Major 6th, and 77/64 as the default Minor 3rd.

Melodic Scales

All of the chief Melodic scales listed here are named for their most useful mode.

Melodic Minor

My preferred version of this scale differs from my preferred Ionian mode solely by it having the 77/64 Minor 3rd in place of Ionian's 5/4 Major 3rd. In a similar vein to the Diatonic-derived apposite names mentioned above, we can analogously create the term "Dorionian", and thus, I'll be deriving the names of the other modes of this scale from Dorionian. This scale consists of notes related to the Tonic by the following ratios:

• 1/1
• 9/8
• 77/64
• 4/3
• 3/2
• 27/16
• 15/8
• 2/1

As for the other modes of this scale, I give them the following names:

• Dorionic Phrygidorian
• Dorionic Auxolydian
• Dorionic Lydomyxian
• Dorionic Myxaeolian
• Dorionic Aeolocrian
• Dorionic Meiolocrian

Phrygidorian

This scale is not very well known, but it consists of a lower tetrachord resembling that of Phrygian and an upper tetrachord resembling that of Dorian, hence the Diatonic-derived apposite name given here. This scale consists of notes related to the Tonic by the following ratios:

• 1/1
• 16/15
• 77/64
• 4/3
• 3/2
• 27/16
• 16/9
• 2/1

As for the other modes of this scale, I give them the following names:

• Phrygidoric Auxolydian
• Phrygidoric Lydomyxian
• Phrygidoric Myxaeolian
• Phrygidoric Aeolocrian
• Phrygidoric Meiolocrian
• Phrygidoric Dorionian

Lydian Augmented

My preferred tuning of this scale utilizes the 25/16 for the augmented fifth, with this augmented fifth being the only note that distinguishes this scale from my preferred tuning of Lydian. Do note that for the Diatonic-derived apposite name, I've coined a prefix "auxo-" from Ancient Greek aúxō (to make grow or increase) and tacked it onto Lydian to make the name "Auxolydian", and it is from this that I've decided derive the names of the other modes of this scale. This scale consists of notes related to the Tonic by the following ratios:

• 1/1
• 9/8
• 5/4
• 45/32
• 25/16
• 27/16
• 15/8
• 2/1

As for the other modes of this scale, I give them the following names:

• Auxolydic Lydomyxian
• Auxolydic Myxaeolian
• Auxolydic Aeolocrian
• Auxolydic Meiolocrian (only ever distinct from Meiolocrian proper if the Keenanisma is not tempered out)
• Auxolydic Dorionian
• Auxolydic Phrygidorian

Lydian Dominant

This scale, unlike some of the other Melodic scales, is likely to see some use, and its structure is a cross between that of Lydian and that of Mixolydian, hence the Diatonic-derived apposite name "Lydomyxian". It consists of notes related to the Tonic by the following ratios:

• 1/1
• 9/8
• 5/4
• 45/32
• 3/2
• 27/16
• 16/9
• 2/1

The other modes of this scale are as follows:

• Lydomyxic Myxaeolian
• Lydomyxic Aeolocrian
• Lydomyxic Meiolocrian
• Lydomyxic Dorionian
• Lydomyxic Phrygidorian
• Lydomyxic Auxolydian

Melodic Major

My preferred version of this scale differs from my preferred Aeolian mode solely by it having the 5/4 Major 3rd in place of Aeolian's 77/64 Minor 3rd. It consists of a lower tetrachord resembling that of Mixolydian and an upper tetrachord resembling that of Aeolian, hence the Diatonic-derived apposite name "Myxaeolian". This scale consists of notes related to the Tonic by the following ratios:

• 1/1
• 9/8
• 5/4
• 4/3
• 3/2
• 8/5
• 16/9
• 2/1

As for the other modes of this scale, I give them the following names:

• Myxaeolic Aeolocrian
• Myxaeolic Meiolocrian
• Myxaeolic Dorionian
• Myxaeolic Phrygidorian
• Myxaeolic Auxolydian
• Myxaeolic Lydomyxian

Semilocrian

So named due to having only one of the traditional modifications common to Locrian mode when compared to Natural Minor, and its structure is a cross between that of Aeolian and that of Locrian, hence the Diatonic-derived apposite name "Aeolocrian". It consists of notes related to the Tonic by the following ratios:

• 1/1
• 9/8
• 77/64
• 4/3
• 64/45
• 8/5
• 16/9
• 2/1

As for the other modes of this scale, I give them the following names:

• Aeolocric Meiolocrian
• Aeolocric Dorionian
• Aeolocric Phrygidorian
• Aeolocric Auxolydian
• Aeolocric Lydomyxian
• Aeolocric Myxaeolian

Meiolocrian

Commonly thought of as being an enharmonic variation of the Altered scale from jazz, this scale is actually distinct from the Altered scale in non-Meantone settings owing to the syntonic comma not being tempered, and thus, different scale degrees having markedly different tunings between the two scales. Do note that for the Diatonic-derived apposite name, I've coined a prefix "meio-" from Ancient Greek meióō (to lessen or diminish) and tacked it onto Locrian to make the name given here, and it is from this name that I've decided derive the names of the other modes of this scale. Much like with Locrian mode and Lydian mode in the Diatonic scale, this mode and Lydian Augmented share a scale if the Keenanisma is not temepred out. This scale consists of notes related to the Tonic by the following ratios:

• 1/1
• 16/15
• 77/64
• 32/25
• 64/45
• 8/5
• 16/9
• 2/1

As for the other modes of this scale, I give them the following names:

• Meiolocric Dorionian
• Meiolocric Phrygidorian
• Meiolocric Auxolydian (only ever distinct from Auxolydian proper if the Keenanisma is not tempered out)
• Meiolocric Lydomyxian
• Meiolocric Myxaeolian
• Meiolocric Aeolocrian