What's up YouTube! mDecks Music here and today we're going to talk more about bi-triadic hexatonic scales.
So in our last video we kind of touched on them briefly and went into what they were
on a fundamental basis and somewhat how to use them, but today we're going to go into
further detail explaining bi-triadic hexatonics a little better hopefully. I got an email from a
Mark recently that asked, "Could you explain bi-triadic hexatonic scales?" So that's what
we're going to do! We're going to talk about what they are and how we can use them. As we mentioned
before bi-triadic hexatonics are basically just six notes in a scale created by two triads that
have no common tones. Two non-overlapping triads. Triads have a powerful easy to identify sound,
even when embedded in other structures or scales. Bi-triadic hexatonics, if used cleverly, can create
interesting lines and harmonies since they contain two non-overlapping triads. Each of these triads
may be used and taken advantage of independently, or in conjunction with one another. The secret is
how you see and treat a bi-triadic hexatonic. Let's start with a simple example: imagine a C
triad combined with a D minor triad -- they are non-overlapping -- C, E and G and D, F and A, no
common tones. So this should produce a bi-triadic hexatonic. If we assume C is the root, or the key,
then we can see this scale as being produced by the major triad on the one and a minor triad on
the two. In Tessitura Pro, you will find all scales and music and the bi-triadic hexatonics may be
filtered out by enabling the checkbox labeled "show only bi-triadic hexatonics." At the moment
we're also viewing source scales only, so there are only 25 showing. But if you select all, then
you'll see all 140 bi-triadic hexatonics. So let's find the hexatonic that contains the one and the two minor.
There it is! Hexatonic I-ii. Let's listen to it..
Now, you're probably thinking "that's
just the scale of C without the B" and you're right, but that's not the only way to look at
this scale! The interesting approach is to see the scale as two triads. If we look at the info
we can see that it contains the C triad and the D minor triad. The one and the two minor. If we
change the key to say F, then the triads are (of course) F and G minor. But we can also see it as
one and two minor regardless of the key. Looking at the possible triads, we see the scale can be assigned
a C, a Csub4, or a C6. Okay so how can we use this? Let me give you an example: I see that this
scale does not have a 7 of any kind. The degrees are 1 2 3 4 5 6. So the lack of a 7 present makes
the hexatonic scale very versatile, so we can obviously use it in a chord like C6 because
there's no 7. But because the 7 is not defined by the scale, we can also use it on any type of
7 like C major7 or C dominant7. The B is not in the scale so it used a B natural in the C major7
or Bb and the C dominant7, doesn't matter. In this case, it's very versatile. Let's try a C7sus4
as our chord. We could use of course mixolydian as our scale to improvise or compose melodies
over a C7sus4, but let's use this hexatonic 1 2 minor. Now, one of the possible approaches is to
bring out the triads independently -- the C major triad and the D minor triad -- so I could play...
I'm thinking D minor, then C, then D minor, then C again. You can now create interesting lines which
are very simple but effective, because each triad has its own sound which I am playing over the C7sus4.
And you're only thinking about C major and D minor triads, that's it! So let's do another example:
with one of the most interesting bi-triadic hexatonics in music, the "symmetrical augmented scale!"
-- also known as the "Messian Inv. III Truncated n2" -- this is an amazing scale!
It is bi-triadic hexatonics, but also symmetrical, with only two possible modes -- by the way there are only
eight scales in music that are symmetrical -- and bi-triadic hexatonics, which are all produced by
only three source scales. Being symmetrical, there are multiple chord pairings that can be used to
produce the same hexatonic scale -- so there they are -- in C, we can see the symmetrical augmented
as G augmented paired with E augmented, or as E major paired with C minor, or Ab with E minor,
or C with Ab minor. Let's listen to it... as you can see this scale has a minor third followed by
a half step, another minor third, half-step and yet another minor third, half step. So C
symmetrical augmented is the same as E symmetrical augmented and the Ab symmetrical augmented. So
now we can think of any of these triads when writing melodies or improvising and we will
get a C symmetrical augmented sound. This allows us to create really out-of-the-box melodies, and
harmonies, that we wouldn't come up with otherwise. Here's a simple melody I wrote using this scale...
So all the notes and triads I've used belong to the symmetrical augmented scale, but I am approaching
these notes trying to outline the triads and pairs of triads that are contained in the scale. Another
way we can use this is in improvisation. Let's say I have a D minor7b5 to G7 to C major7.
So I can use the C symmetrical augmented over this progression. I'm going to consider the C/Abm paring.
So over the D minor7b5, I'll play the C triad over G7 -- the Ab minor -- and
over C I can go back to the C, or play the E minor, which is also there. Or, I can break the triads to
create a line like this... So there it is! I hope that was helpful! Keep sending us your questions!
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