[sdiy] Quantizer scales

[David G Dixon]

As I've mentioned before, with just Major, Melodic Minor, and Diminished,
you get 16 useful modes for every period of western music.  Chromatic and
whole-tone would be good too.

The problem with pentatonic scales is that there are so many of them --
which to choose?  Also, without the ability to slide, they really aren't
that interesting.  It would be better to be able to deactivate notes from
the other scales to make up pentatonics of any type.

Being able to skip every other note in the scales/modes would also be pretty
useful for arpeggiation.  Triadic patterns (such as 1-3-5 or 1-4-5) would be
pretty useful, as would Tetratonic "Rootless voicing" patterns (like
3-6-7-9), but where does one draw the line?

For me, the ideal quantizer would allow one to select various modes, and
then to activate or deactivate any of the notes within those modes.  For
example, one could select "E phrygian" and then select 1-2-4-5-7 as the
notes.  This would give E-F-A-B-D, a pretty cool and eastern sounding
pattern.  Indeed, keeping the note number pattern but changing the
underlying mode would give lots of cool variations.  For example, keeping
1-2-4-5-7 but changing the underlying mode to "C mixolydian" would now give
C-D-F-G-Bb.  By running through a preprogrammed pattern of mode in this way,
a highly-structured harmonic progression would emerge.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: synth-diy-bounces at dropmix.xs4all.nl 
> [mailto:synth-diy-bounces at dropmix.xs4all.nl] On Behalf Of 
> Donald Tillman
> Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 9:39 AM
> To: Tim Ressel
> Cc: Synth-Diy
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] Quantizer scales
> 
> On Nov 28, 2012, at 4:42 PM, Tim Ressel wrote:
> 
> > I just added a quantize feature to a product. It has 3 or 4 
> possible choices for scale (red-green LED), and I was 
> wondering what the choices should be. I am not what anyone 
> would call a musician. This kind of thing is a bit beyond me.
> > 
> > If its three choices then I'm thinking semitones, major and 
> minor scale. Does that sound right? What would be the forth 
> choice? Diminished? Does it need a forth choice?
> 
> 
> Heh-heh... Just to open your horizons up a little bit, I'll 
> recommend this book:
> 
>   Nicolas Slonimsky, Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns
>   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082561449X
> 
> (Do check out the reviews.)
> 
>   -- Don
> 
> --
> Don Tillman
> Palo Alto, California
> don at till.com
> http://www.till.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
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