Synthetic or Poly Scales

what is a poly / synthetic scale?

I dunno but the terms sound familiar. Perhaps poly is referring to more than one scale played as one e.g the melodic minor which I believe is melodic ascending and natural descending though don't quote me on that. Maybe synthetic just describes the others.
Anyway if you've got the pennies this looks good.
http://www.the-sheet-music-store.com/Products/S/02500121.htm
Richard.

yepso

melodic ascending + descending are different

melodic on the way up natural minor / Aeolian on the way down

there is a reason for this besides confusion!!

A Major - A B C# D E F# G# A

A Natural Minor - A B C D E F G A

(with the melodic you raise the 6th and 7th from nat)

A Melodic Minor - A B C D E F# G# A

recap :

A Major -----A B C# D E F# G# A
A Mel min -- A B C D E F# G# A

the only difference is the 3rd, so using the melodic minor like that, in some passages it can sound like A major... so it is played differently on the way down to get that minory (word i just made up) sound, lol.

me got no pennies !!! if you find out, post what the poly-synthetic scale is.

* shines the question mark on the sky for noteboat, just like on batman when he is needed, only this is a question mark and noteboat appears

ROFL!

And here I am....

Traditionally speaking, synthetic scales are those that aren't Major or minor (or modal from either of those).  Since the Major and minor scales give you a total of 21 step arrangements (7 modal patterns for each of the major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales), there are lots of possibilities.

Of course, many of these 'synthetic' scales are in frequent use.  The Raga scales used in Indian music, the Blues scale we're all familiar with, the Gypsy minor scale... these are but a few of the scales that would be called 'synthetic' in terms of music theory.  You can also design any scale you choose, to good or poor effect.

Polyscales are synthetic scales that are created by combining two (or more) other scales.  For example, you might try this:

C-D-D#(Eb)-E-F-F#(Gb)-G-A-B-C
(1-2-3-4-b5-5-6-7)

We could say that's a C major scale with an added b5... or a C blues scale with a raised 7th, and a 2nd and 6th thrown in... or A melodic minor with a b5 passing tone and a natural 7th... or we could consider it a polyscale made up of C major and E minor harmonic.  Any way you slice it, it would be considered synthetic.

Wrapping your mind around these monsters is tough; there's more ways to analyze these beasts than you can shake a stick at.  In addition, the more you complicate matters, the less useful they are!

In my humble opinion, they have exactly three practical uses:

1. They're an interesting diversion for the mind in figuring things out, sort of like a sonic puzzle

2. They can be used as a compositional device in experimental music... for example, I might write a piece that modulates from C to Em, and use the polyscale above to foreshadow the change -- dissonances be danged!

3. In an improvisational situation with two soloists with great ears and good affinity for each other, you could approach a single chord from two different directions.  For example, you've got a C11 chord (C-E-G-Bb-D-F); one soloist takes off on C mixolydian (C-D-E-F-G-A-Bb), which will work because of the Bb in the chord... the other pulls the Bb major triad out of the C11 chord, and heads that-a-ways (Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb).  The results will demonstrate the polyscale to the listener, with the possibility that one guy hits D at the same time the other chooses Eb -- ouch!

Tom

Nice tights Theory Man....

We'll have to compose you a theme song using only polyscales.

I kiss the clouds Poly-man walks on!   ;D

so in a nut shell poly scales are kinda neutral scales, or they ascend major and decend minor or vice versa?

In a nutshell, they don't conform to major or minor, so they can do whatever you'd like them to :)

without the knowledge of the existing scales, all scales would be of this kind.

Without the knowledge of scales, your solos will wander aimlessly through the soundscape... not a very pretty aural image.

soo basically a synthetic / poly scale is a scale that isnt major / minor or modal?

Alex,
Whole tone and diminished scales are synthetic scales because they don't conform to the order of sharps or flats.  As we already know none of those scales are major nor minor.

yeah, i know.