Ukrainian Dorian scale
In music, the Romanian scale or Ukrainian Dorian scale or altered Dorian scale[1] is a musical scale or mode, "similar to the dorian mode, but with a tritone and variable sixth and seventh degrees".[2] It is related to both the Freygish and Misheberak scales and is used in Jewish music, "predominant in klezmer bulgarish and doina (doyne)."[1] "When the Ukrainian Dorian scale functions in the synagogue, it is a mode known as the Mi sheberach (May He Who Blessed) or Av horachamim (Compassionate Father). Arab and Greek scholars give other names to the scale: Hijaz and Aulos, respectively."[3]
"The pitches of the Mi Shebeyrekh [cantorial] mode correspond roughly to a Dorian mode with a raised fourth (for example, D, E, F, G♯, A, B, C, D); alternately, it could be described as a variant of the Lydian mode, deriving instead from the harmonic minor scale, rather than from the major scale. Beregovski calls this pitch collection 'Ukrainian Dorian'."[4]
It has been used by George Gershwin.[2] Another example is the Bert Kaempfert tune "Sweet Maria".[5]
Also called the Ukrainian minor scale, it is a combined typed of musical scale.[citation needed] It figures prominently in Eastern European music, particularly Klezmer music, and melodies based on this scale have an exotic, romantic flavor for listeners accustomed to more typical Western scales.
A Ukrainian minor scale in the key of C would proceed as follows: C D E♭ F♯ G A B♭.
A Ukrainian minor scale in the key of A would proceed as follows: A B C D♯ E F♯ G.
Its step pattern is w - h - + - h - w - h - w, where w indicates a whole step, h indicates a half step, and + indicates an augmented second, which looks like a minor third on a keyboard but is notationally distinct.
Chords that may be derived from the scale based on C are Cm, D7, Eb, F♯dim7, Gm, Am7b5 and B♭+.
This scale is obtainable from the harmonic minor scale by starting from the fourth of that scale. Said another way, the C Ukrainian minor scale is the fourth mode of the G harmonic minor scale.
Misheberak scale
The Misheberak scale or altered Dorian, the fourth mode of the harmonic minor scale, is a musical scale featuring an unusual key signature.[6] It is used in Jewish music and Romanian music.[6] Also called Mi sheberach (May He Who Blessed),[7] Av horachamin (Compassionate Father),[7] Mi Shebeyrekh, and Misheberach. The main chords are i, bIII, and II.[8]
See also
- Minor gypsy scale
- Hungarian minor scale
- Phrygian dominant scale
- Double harmonic scale
- Melodic minor scale
- Mixolydian mode#Moloch scale
External links
Sources
- ^ a b Idelsohn (1929). Jewish Music in Its Historical Development and Beregovski (Russian- and Yiddish-language articles) cited in Slobin, Mark (2002). American Klezmer, p.123,n.56. ISBN 978-0-520-22718-7.
- ^ a b Pollack, Howard (2006). George Gershwin: His Life and Work p.46. ISBN 978-0-520-24864-9.
- ^ Gottlieb, Jack (2004). Funny, it doesn't sound Jewish, p.221, n.65. ISBN 978-0-8444-1130-9.
- ^ Slobin (2002), p.23, n.6 and [17]. [sic]: On p.101 Slobin incorrectly describes raising the scale degree of the minor scale, though correctly lists G-A-B♭-C♯-D-E-F-G.
- ^ Gottlieb (2004), p.135-36.
- ^ a b Hunter, Dave (2005). Play Acoustic, p.226. ISBN 978-0-87930-853-7.
- ^ a b Gottlieb, Jack (2004). Funny, it doesn't sound Jewish, p.65. ISBN 978-0-8444-1130-9.
- ^ Dick Weissman, Dan Fox (2009). A Guide to Non-Jazz Improvisation: Guitar Edition, p.130. ISBN 978-0-7866-0751-8.
Further reading
- Hewitt, Michael. Musical Scales of the World. The Note Tree. 2013. ISBN 978-0957547001.