07-19-2023, 05:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-20-2023, 09:27 AM by Saltech.
Edit Reason: add extra info / typo
)
Even with these limitations, I still think it would be better to have access to some 'wrong' notes rather than none. If they are there on the black keys via the "black key is one semitone lower than the next white key" formula then that's a win for jazziness, if the formula results in a repeated 'right' note because there is only a semitone between adjacent white notes for that part of that scale / mode, then that's where we are already and that's a neutral outcome. So, overall it's a win for Jazziness, not a perfect result, but perfection is not available and so this could be an example of “perfect is the enemy of good”.
Looking at the modes of the major scale, there are never less than 3 useful black keys (i.e. giving access to 'wrong' notes) - 3 out of 5. And for Lydian and Mixolydian there are 4 useful black keys. That's a 60% to 80% success rate for modes of the major scale, or to think of it slightly differently, access to 10 or 11 notes out of 12 of the chromatic scale. It's got to be worth a try as there's no downside - all the right notes are still there on the white keys if you want to play it safe, and one or two black keys would also give right notes, no loss there. But most of the black keys would add the jazz / dissonance / tension which is essential for that 'tension / release' thing which works so well in music. I think it could be good fun - all the 'in' stuff on the white keys and all the dangerous tones set aside and locked to the black keys. Hit one if you like, then slide off to a white key like you know what you're doing...
[edit, for extra info] In this image below, whenever a W (for whole tone) lines up vertically with the W's in the C Ionian row, then the black key will work to give a useful non-diatonic note:
![[Image: 7dd365c2412ee0e50c31a0dd7f0c7f9c254d2973.gif]](https://images.yuku.com/image/gif/7dd365c2412ee0e50c31a0dd7f0c7f9c254d2973.gif)
Thinking about it, there are only 2 places in a C major scale where the white notes are next to each other, so for all 7 note scales there would be a maximum of 2 notes unavailable / black keys which don't add Jazz - Except for any scales which include an interval of a tone and a half e.g. gypsy minor (2 usable black keys/ 'wrong' notes) and Harmonic minor (3 usable black keys / 'wrong' notes).
Looking at the modes of the major scale, there are never less than 3 useful black keys (i.e. giving access to 'wrong' notes) - 3 out of 5. And for Lydian and Mixolydian there are 4 useful black keys. That's a 60% to 80% success rate for modes of the major scale, or to think of it slightly differently, access to 10 or 11 notes out of 12 of the chromatic scale. It's got to be worth a try as there's no downside - all the right notes are still there on the white keys if you want to play it safe, and one or two black keys would also give right notes, no loss there. But most of the black keys would add the jazz / dissonance / tension which is essential for that 'tension / release' thing which works so well in music. I think it could be good fun - all the 'in' stuff on the white keys and all the dangerous tones set aside and locked to the black keys. Hit one if you like, then slide off to a white key like you know what you're doing...
[edit, for extra info] In this image below, whenever a W (for whole tone) lines up vertically with the W's in the C Ionian row, then the black key will work to give a useful non-diatonic note:
Thinking about it, there are only 2 places in a C major scale where the white notes are next to each other, so for all 7 note scales there would be a maximum of 2 notes unavailable / black keys which don't add Jazz - Except for any scales which include an interval of a tone and a half e.g. gypsy minor (2 usable black keys/ 'wrong' notes) and Harmonic minor (3 usable black keys / 'wrong' notes).