Skyward Microtonal's Neutral Scale Modes

Skyward Microtonal is the youtube channel of microtonalist Jude Mason. He has some cool 24-EDO scales. Let's have a look.

He starts by combining the major and minor scales, or Ionian and Aelian modes, into one called the neutral scale (or Iolian mode).

Between the scales of C major and and C minor, [C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C] and [C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C], we obviously can interpolate with half flats, giving

    [C, D, Ed, F, G, Ad, Bd, C]

Every rotation of this scale will also be an interpolation between two western modes,a nd Mason gives them cute names that combine the names of the parent scales.

1. Iolian: [C, D, Ed, F, G, Ad, Bd, C]

2. Dorlocrian: [D, Ed, F, G, Ad, Bd, C, D]

3. Phrygionian: [Ed, F, G, Ad, Bd, C, D, Ed]

4. Lydorian: [F, G, Ad, Bd, C, D, Ed, F]

5. Mixophrygian: [G, Ad, Bd, C, D, Ed, F, G]

6. Aeolydian: [Ad, Bd, C, D, Ed, F, G, Ad]

7. Mixolocrian: [Bd, C, D, Ed, F, G, Ad, Bd]

There are a lot of critical comments on the video, but I find all of these interesting, compelling, functional. They're good scales. I think they'd work well on an oud or qanun or violin or clarinet.

Here are the modes written in 24-EDO steps, in both relative and absolute terms:

    Mode 1: [4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3] : [0, 4, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24]

    Mode 2: [3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4] : [0, 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24]

    Mode 3: [3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3] : [0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24]

    Mode 4: [4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3] : [0, 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 24]

    Mode 5: [3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4] : [0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 20, 24]
    
    Mode 6: [4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3] : [0, 4, 7, 11, 14, 17, 21, 24]
    
    Mode 7: [3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4] : [0, 3, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24]

I don't think any of these are standard arabic maqamat. They're new and they're cool.

If you're interesting in your scale having a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth, then modes 1, 3, and 5 are for you.

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