A new scale?

[James Semple]

Hi everyone, I've been using a technique that I heard Jerry Goldsmith used to use. Basically he would take two chords that he was using in a progression but were from different keys. Often they would be chromatic mediants. He would then build a scale using just the notes from the chords.

So I've done this now using three chords ... Bm Cm and Ebm.

My final scale (using enharmonics) is B C D Eb F# G A#

Now I've tried to fit this to several scales (including Hungarian minor and the double harmonic scale) but none seem to fit. It's not even a subset of a diminished scale.

So unless someone finds me a fit I'm declaring this a new scale ... either way it sounds great for the creepy horror music I'm writing at the moment!

cheers

James

[James Semple]

Thanks Doug ... honestly it all started with me trying to work out how I would tune the harp in the piece.

[Doug Lauber]

I don't know about declaring a 'new scale', but I love the general concept and plan to use it in future constructions. Hats off to you ! ( I think it would be great for creating impressionist washes and maybe Stravinsky-esque ostinatos)

[James Semple]

Yes Pete you were absolutely right ... I was clearly drunk when I wrote that.

Thanks Dominik ... I believe that Howard Shore referenced the Maqam Hijaz in Lord of the Rings.

[James Semple]

Thanks for the comments. Pete you're close with the spelling but it's 1 b2 b3 #4 5 b6 7. I'll get a chance to listen later.

[Simon Godden]

James, have you ever considered forming an octatonic scale. That is a scale with 8 notes within the octave instead of the normal diatonic modes which have 7. Stravinsky used to do this a lot, and it can make your music sound extremely unique.