Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@lfnoise
Created August 12, 2014 14:39
Show Gist options
  • Save lfnoise/bcf1f3e8713c1dd1d6e8 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save lfnoise/bcf1f3e8713c1dd1d6e8 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
viable heptatonic scales
This is a chart of all 7 note pitch sets which have at least one mode which is a viable heptatonic scale.
A viable heptatonic scale is one where:
there are 7 distinct pitches.
the first degree is 0 semitones.
the second degree is 1, 2 or 3 semitones.
the third degree is 3 or 4 semitones.
the fourth degree is 5 or 6 semitones.
the fifth degree is 6, 7 or 8 semitones.
the sixth degree is 8 or 9 semitones.
the seventh degree is 10 or 11 semitones.
the first, third and fifth degree do not form a first inversion major triad, i.e. pitch set (0,3,8). Such a scale is considered mis-rooted.
This definition is arbitrary, but it seems a useful one to me.
The chart gives the Forte set number, the name of the scale, and a list of all its modes.
For each mode, the pitch set is given; an X indicates a nonviable mode; the root seventh chord is given;
an algorithm attempts to give a name for each viable mode.
1 7-35 -- diatonic --
1 024579E M7 major
2 023579T m7 dorian
3 013578T m7 phrygian
4 024679E M7 lydian
5 024579T 7 mixolydian
6 023578T m7 minor
7 013568T m7-5 locrian
2 7-34 -- melodic minor --
1 023579E mM7 melodic minor
2 013579T m7 phrygian M6
3 024689E M7+5 augmented M7
4 024679T 7 lydian dominant
5 024578T 7 mixolydian b13
6 023568T m7-5 locrian M2
7 013468T X m7-5
3 7-32 -- harmonic minor --
1 023578E mM7 harmonic minor
2 013569T m7-5 locrian M6
3 024589E M7+5 major #5
4 023679T m7 dorian #11
5 014578T 7 mixolydian b9 b13
6 034679E M7 lydian #9
7 0134689 X dim7
4 7-32B -- harmonic major --
1 024578E M7 harmonic major
2 023569T m7-5 dorian b5
3 013478T X m7
4 023679E mM7 melodic minor #11
5 014579T 7 mixolydian b9
6 034689E M7+5 augmented M7 #9
7 0135689 X dim7
5 7-30 -- harmonic phrygian --
1 013578E mM7 harmonic phrygian
2 02467TE X M7
3 024589T 7+5 dominant #5
4 023678T m7 minor #11
5 014568T 7-5 dominant b9 b5 b13
6 034579E M7 major #9
7 0124689 X
6 7-33 -- whole tone + 1 --
1 024678T 7 lydian dominant b13
2 024568T 7-5 dominant b5 b13
3 023468T X m7-5
4 012468T X
5 013579E mM7 melodic phrygian
6 02468TE X M7+5
7 024689T 7+5 augmented dominant
7 7-22 -- bhairav --
1 014578E M7 harmonic major b9
2 03467TE X M7
3 0134789 X
4 023678E mM7 harmonic minor #11
5 014569T 7-5 dominant b9 b5
6 034589E M7+5 major #9 #5
7 0125689 X
8 7-30B -- harmonic lydian --
1 024678E M7 harmonic lydian
2 024569T 7-5 dominant b5
3 023478T X m7
4 012568T X
5 014579E M7 major b9
6 03468TE X M7+5
7 0135789 X
9 7-28 -- augmented dominant #9 -- a subset of messiaen's mode 6
1 034689T 7+5 augmented dominant #9
2 0135679 X dim7
3 024568E M7-5 harmonic major b5
4 023469T X m7-5
5 012478T X
6 013679E mM7 melodic phrygian #11
7 02568TE X
10 7-20 -- dominant #9 #5 --
1 034589T 7+5 dominant #9 #5
2 0125679 X
3 014568E M7-5 harmonic major b9 b5
4 03457TE X M7
5 0124789 X
6 013678E mM7 harmonic phrygian #11
7 02567TE X susM7
11 7-31 -- phrygian #11 M6 -- a subset of diminished
1 013679T m7 phrygian #11 M6
2 025689E X
3 034679T 7 lydian dominant #9
4 0134679 X dim7
5 023568E dimM7 harmonic locrian M2
6 013469T X m7-5
7 023589E X
12 7-29 -- todi --
1 013678T m7 phrygian #11
2 025679E X susM7
3 034579T 7 mixolydian #9
4 0124679 X
5 013568E dimM7 harmonic locrian
6 02457TE X M7
7 023589T X
13 7-29B -- major b5 --
1 024569E M7-5 major b5
2 023479T X m7
3 012578T X
4 014679E M7 lydian b9
5 03568TE X
6 0235789 X
7 013567T X m7-5
14 7-20B -- purvi --
1 014678E M7 harmonic lydian b9
2 03567TE X susM7
3 0234789 X
4 012567T X
5 014569E M7-5 major b9 b5
6 03458TE X M7+5
7 0125789 X
15 7-31B -- lydian dominant b9 -- a subset of diminished
1 014679T 7 lydian dominant b9
2 035689E X
3 0235689 X dim7
4 013467T X m7-5
5 023569E dimM7 melodic locrian M2
6 013479T X m7
7 023689E X
16 7-28B -- lydian dominant b9 b13 -- a subset of messiaen's mode 6
1 014678T 7 lydian dominant b9 b13
2 035679E X susM7
3 0234689 X dim7
4 012467T X
5 013569E dimM7 melodic locrian
6 02458TE X M7+5
7 023689T X
17 7-21B -- harmonic lydian #9 -- a subset of messiaen's mode 3
1 034678E M7 harmonic lydian #9
2 0134589 X
3 023478E X mM7
4 012569T X
5 014589E M7+5 major b9 #5
6 03478TE X M7+5
7 0145789 X
18 7-21 -- dominant b9 #5 -- a subset of messiaen's mode 3
1 014589T 7+5 dominant b9 #5
2 034789E X M7+5
3 0145689 X
4 034578E M7 harmonic major #9
5 0124589 X
6 013478E X mM7
7 02367TE X mM7
19 7-27B -- augmented M7 b9 --
1 014689E M7+5 augmented M7 b9
2 03578TE X
3 0245789 X
4 023567T X m7-5
5 013458T X
6 023479E X mM7
7 012579T X
20 7-26B -- augmented dominant b9 -- a subset of messiaen's mode 3
1 014689T 7+5 augmented dominant b9
2 035789E X
3 0245689 X
4 023467T X m7-5
5 012458T X
6 013479E X mM7
7 02368TE X
21 7-19B -- major #9 b5 -- a subset of messiaen's mode 4
1 034569E M7-5 major #9 b5
2 0123689 X
3 012578E X
4 01467TE X M7
5 03569TE X
6 0236789 X
7 014567T X 7-5
22 7-18 -- harmonic major #9 b5 --
1 034568E M7-5 harmonic major #9 b5
2 0123589 X
3 012478E X
4 01367TE X mM7
5 02569TE X
6 034789T X 7+5
7 0145679 X
23 7-19 -- dominant #9 b5 -- a subset of messiaen's mode 4
1 034569T 7-5 dominant #9 b5
2 0123679 X
3 012568E X
4 01457TE X M7
5 03469TE X
6 0136789 X
7 025678E X susM7
24 7-26 -- lydian dominant #9 b13 -- a subset of messiaen's mode 3
1 034678T 7 lydian dominant #9 b13
2 0134579 X
3 023468E X dimM7
4 012469T X
5 013589E X
6 02478TE X M7+5
7 025689T X
25 7-27 -- mixolydian #9 b13 --
1 034578T 7 mixolydian #9 b13
2 0124579 X
3 013468E X dimM7
4 02357TE X mM7
5 013589T X
6 024789E X M7+5
7 025679T X sus7
26 7-24 -- dominant #9 b5 b13 --
1 034568T 7-5 dominant #9 b5 b13
2 0123579 X
3 012468E X
4 01357TE X mM7
5 02469TE X
6 024789T X 7+5
7 025678T X sus7
--- James McCartney 2014
@lfnoise
Copy link
Author

lfnoise commented Aug 16, 2014

T = ten semitones. minor 7th above root. Sometimes the character A is used.
E = eleven semitones. major 7th above root. Sometimes the character B is used.

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment