Do you think that in Hungary they call that scale HUNGARIAN MINOR? or simply MINOR? Doubtful. But when you start calling a scale HUNGARIAN MINOR or SAPNISH. Modes (in the MAJOR SCALE) evade this because it is a clear inversion/permutation of the existing formula that is in place. When one person says Melodic Mionr, they could be referring to the jazz way of playing it, where the 6 and 7 are raised in ascending AND descending fashion, whereas in classical or some rock and pop contexts (listen to some Beatles tunes, or Bach) they use the traditional way of ascending in Melodic and descending in Natural Minor (the Aeolian mode). he names them as he wishes, VERBALLY, or he names them by FUNCTION, in which case, EVERYONE can understand it. If you look at that old Alan Holdsworth instructional video, Just For The Curious, HE has his OWN TERMINOLOGY that he SAYS he expects very few, if any, to understand or relate to. This is precisely why I think that the FORMULA SYSTEM is far superior to namegiving. For instance, to ME, the Spanish Scale is a hybrid scale that is Phrygian/Phrgyian Dominant, meaning: containing both the b3 and 3. The problem arises from trying to convey these names to other people. In other words, I don't see 'melodic major' (if like you say it can justifiably be called that) as necessarily being used as part of a larger modal function, but often just as an alternative for the tonic I chord. To me it defines its function more clearly. the 'Spanish scale' is a mode of harmonic minor (known as Phrygian dominant), but it is also a scale in its own right if you see what I mean. Not sure if it's just me, but I have a habit of referring to each scale independent of its modal function. Meganutt - thank you yes that makes sense. The section in the middle where the strings come in, they play the scale pretty much verbatim in ascending fashion, to create that grandiose resolution to the D major chord, after crawling up to it through the b6 and b7. There is a HARMONIC MAJOR scale, but, to my knowledge, no MELODIC MAJOR, since Melodic minor implies a flatted third but the rest of the notes are structured EXACTLY like a Major scale.Īlso, by the way, to hear this scale in use in a popular context, you can take another listen to Kashmir by Led Zeppelin.

it would be:Īs you can see, if you start from the F, you get the melodic minor scale. I love the sound it creates, particularly over a sus2 chord from the tonic.

Sometimes it is referred to as Mixolydian b6. What it is, is the fifth mode of Melodic Minor. This is seldom, if ever, called melodic major.

Formula harmonic minor scale