Spanish and Spanish 8 tone????

What are the scales Spanish 8 tone and Spanish???

What are their intervals????
May I have an example in a certain key???

What chords do I play them against???

Thanks

I asked the same quesiton a while back and was told the spanish or 8-tone spanish scale is simply the major scale!

its pretty messed up

here it is in C

-------------------------------1-2-4-
-------------------------2-4-5--
-------------------1-3-5--
-------------2-3-4--------
-------3-4-6--------------
-2-4-6-------------------

I believe (not positive), the 8 tone spanish scale is just a Phrygian scale w/an added maj. 3rd.

Ex.
G phrygian
G Ab Bb C D Eb F G
8 tone spanish scale?
G Ab Bb B C D Eb F G

you can also use an F# in there as a leading tone to the Root.
Again, not positive this is the official "8 tone spanish scale", but I do know this scale is used a lot in spanish/flameco music

The harmonic major scale is also used quite a lot in spanish/flamenco. It's basically the 5th mode of harmonic minor.
G harmonic major
G Ab B C D Eb F G
Again...an F# will work quite nicely in there also as a leading tone to the G.

*Try checking the tricks portion of this site for exotic scales...I know The Falcon has a lot of scales posted there.

that cant be right... two semi-tone intervals like that (Bb-B-C).. can it? it just sounds wrong thats all

Nah...

"Chromatic adds colour".

That's COLOR!!!

Hahaha, Llama boy!!

Originally posted by Barreta_jetstream1
that cant be right... two semi-tone intervals like that (Bb-B-C).. can it?

What's wrong w/that...haven't you ever played a Blues scale?
F Blues: F Ab Bb B C Eb F

When the scale (spanish) is used correctly over it's corresponding chord progression it sounds fine. Remember the scale is designed to outline 2 major triads whose root is a half step apart: G (G B D) & Ab (Ab C Eb).

to be fair the B in that scale (augmented 4th) is only a passing note. you cant milk it, only use it to move between the note either side of it...
i guess you are right, but it doesn't sound too good

The notes contained within a diatonic system is not a democracy, but a hierarchy. If you want to only play notes that "sing" stick with Pentatonics.

So THAT'S what Chris getting angry looks like.

Well, lets' face it, only pentatonic and blues scales sound good "out of the box", all the other scales take some work.
Not too mention, playing a scale by itself isn't music, it's a tool, it's what you do w/it that creates music.

I sometimes play scales by themselves...does that make me a tool?

No...it makes you an android

What would you say are some good chord progressions over the Spanish scale????

If ur playing in E spanish (wow that sounds funny)
u cud use Amin to Dmin to E..... use the open E -
Heres a cool trick
U have an open E chord rite?
0
0
1
2
2
0

Move it up 1 fret with ur fingering
0
0
2
3
3
0

and go bak and forth on it, c wat sounds good

another way is tthis
0
0
4
5
5
0


these all sound really good with the spanish scale, try a little comping with it (ex. make it go up an octave)

Thanks!!!!

Originally posted by chris mood
No...it makes you an android

Oh...well then...I guess my robotic soloing would be a hit with STYX. Anyhow, "I may be paranoid..." right Barreta?

My version of the 8 tone spanish scale is the same as chris's but the 5th is flat, instead of natural. I never use this scale as such, instead I play it using the 8th tone as the starting point. So then it becomes just a regular minor scale with an added b5. Then it's easy to use this scale over any minor sequence. You end up with F, G, Ab, Bb, B, C, Db, Eb. Play over any sequence in F minor.

This would bring up another topic. If you really wanted to hold true to using this scale in spanish style, simply play it out of the box. Use this scale over a F minor sequence (example), but start whatever your going to play with a major second above the original root. This case G, which leaves you with the Spanish 8 tone in it's original form.

Pentatonics are nice sounding, but they can quickly become monotonous and cheesy. Consanance is the novice musicians best friend. It does take a certain level of musicianship before one can start to use dissonance intelligably in their music. Don't be afriad to experiment with it, a dissonant note says alot more than a consanant one. Try writting melodies with dissonant notes, instead of only consanant notes. A tip is any note that is meant to create tension, it's even cooler to increase that tension. Even greater when that tension is released with a following consanant note.

The scale you posted sounds quite nice over an F minor chord, very exoctic sounding...but it's not the same tonal center as the one I posted...the 8 tone spanish scale that I posted was meant to be played over a chord progrerssion that revolved around G7 & Ab7, essentially the 5 & b6 chord of C minor...in that respect the 8 tone spanish scale is nothing more then combining natural and harmonic minor together.
There is a lot of different variations to the scales...the main idea of Spanish music (flamenco) is to create colorful phrases...many semi-tones exist inside the chord voicings themselves.