Musical Scales of the World

by Michael Hewitt

This book is a must for musicians, composers and music producers who want to explore the fascinating variety of musical scales that are now used in world music. Included are hundreds of scales from around the world such •major and minor scales of Western music, •diatonic modes, •pentatonic scales, •scales used in jazz and bebop, •artificial and synthetic scales, •scales of Greek folk music, •pentatonic scales of Japanese and Chinese music, •Ethiopian kiñit, •African kora scales, •scales of Indonesian gamelan music, •equal tone scales of Thailand and Burma, •musical scales of classical Indian music and more. Each scale is presented in multiple formats including guitar tab, keyboard, note names, staff and where appropriate, details of fine tuning. A transposition pattern is also given for each scale, which enables the musician to practise and play the scale in any key required. An explanation of each scale, together with a description of its characteristics is also provided.

Genres: Music

318 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2013

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a useful book, an easy read, but functionally just a catalog of scales. The author tends to meander, and not really say much new of substance. Crucially, in my view, the author doesn't engage with the most interesting questions surrounding scales and the wider-world nearly at all.

For example: origin of all scales, deeper questions about the relationships between tuning and scale construction, why are all scales in the book spanning a single-octave etc. are not just left unanswered, but largely not even brought up (the single-octave point is very briefly brought up towards the end of the book, and tuning is gestured towards, but at an insufficient level of detail - he essentially makes the point that tuning exists and matters, but then moves on - not exactly mind-expanding stuff).

Scales from outside of the 'western' canon in this book are grafted on to the European musical staff, with no regard or self-awareness about the potential inappropriateness of this. Nevermind that the pitches aren't the same, the tuning system isn't the same, the concept of transposition isn't the same - we're still putting the notes on a staff, and calling them 'A', and 'Eb' etc.

So, the utility of this book is if you do not mind the fact the representation of the scales in the book isn't exactly "true" to their origins, and instead their representation is one that is friendly to a western reader who wants to play these scales on their western instrument(s). Which is a perfectly fine thing, it's just not particularly deep or enlightening in regards to musics fundamentals or origins, in a culture-agnostic way, which was what I was coming to this book (perhaps erroneously), hoping for.

If that sounds like something you want, this book could easily be exactly what you're looking for.

[José · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked it.

I give it five stars because I can use it as a reference guide for writing music. Gives me a whole lot of scales or "writing material" to work with.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction and a reference book! Explanations are not too exhaustive, but simple and intuitive, with emphasis on practical use