So, I'm working on a sort of progressive/electro house song. What I need to know is, (since I'm still working on my music theory knowledge, taking a course for it) would anybody know of a house-ish kinda scale that feels kinda solemn, but at the same time can be uplifting? I'm going for an almost "gazing at the sunset" feel so if anyone could suggest a scale that fits this mood, I'd be pretty grateful.
Re: Music Theory: A Scale that Fits?
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 5:41 pm
by fragments
Maybe try a minor scale where the melodies play up the scale mostly, rather than down? Also, I like Japanese pentatonic scales a lot, they are have an uncertain mood about them.
Re: Music Theory: A Scale that Fits?
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 5:42 pm
by SkairkroNY
fragments wrote:Maybe try a minor scale where the melodies play up the scale mostly, rather than down? Also, I like Japanese pentatonic scales a lot, they are have an uncertain mood about them.
A minor scale sounds like it could work, and in a mixolydian mode I feel the pieces'll fit in.
Re: Music Theory: A Scale that Fits?
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 3:36 am
by mks
SkairkroNY wrote:
fragments wrote:Maybe try a minor scale where the melodies play up the scale mostly, rather than down? Also, I like Japanese pentatonic scales a lot, they are have an uncertain mood about them.
A minor scale sounds like it could work, and in a mixolydian mode I feel the pieces'll fit in.
A mixolydian scale would require a major third which would preclude it from being a a minor scale which needs a minor third. Think of playing in modes though, so in the key of C, the fifth note, G would be the dominant chord or mixolydian scale and the sixth note, A would be a natural minor.
Re: Music Theory: A Scale that Fits?
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 10:59 am
by scherou
most producers going for this atmosphere use minor 7th chords, and the dorian mode might be a good bet for a scale. the lack of the flattened 6th and the inclusion of the minor 7th gives it quite an uplifting atmosphere if used right. tunes using a minor 7th system can often feel like they're in a major/"happy" key even when theyre not.
that tune doesn't use the dorian scale but it uses minor 7ths and it has that same sort of atmosphere i imagine youre going for
Re: Music Theory: A Scale that Fits?
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 6:16 am
by mks
You could also take that Dorian mode, and modulate it into a secondary dominant chord which will then be the fifth of the dominant chord of the key at the moment.
ii-V-I
Very common in Jazz.
Only one note would need to be changed. In the key of C, you would move the F note to F# to voice lead into the G chord, which would then be a mixolydian scale.
