Twelve Tone Scales

Twelve Tone Scales, are scales that include all 12 tones within two octaves. This kind of scales,
are based on traditional heptatonic (Major and modes, MelMin and modes etc,), but on the second
octave (after the 7th degree of the scale has occured) we start playing all the notes that were not
included in the first one, resulting a total of 12 different tones.
In other words, it is a way to create 12 tone material, based on traditional scales. The following
examples, demonstrate the major scale and its modes, in their 12 tone format.

bœ bœ bœ ˙
bœ bœ
&c œ œ
Ionian 12tone scale

œ œ œ œ
œ

bœ bœ œ ˙
bœ bœ œ
Dorian 12tone scale

& œ bœ œ œ œ
2
œ

bœ œ œ ˙
Phrygian 12tone scale
bœ bœ œ œ
& bœ bœ œ œ
3
œ

œ bœ bœ ˙
œ bœ bœ
œ
Lydian 12tone scale
&œ œ œ #œ œ
4

bœ bœ œ ˙
bœ bœ bœ
œ
Mixolydian 12tone scale
&œ œ œ œ œ
5

bœ œ œ ˙
Aeolian 12tone scale
bœ bœ bœ œ
& œ bœ œ œ
6
œ

œ œ œ ˙
bœ œ œ
Locrian 12tone scale
& bœ œ bœ bœ
œ bœ
7
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2 Twelve Tone Scales

Twelve tone scales can be used as a melodic and harmonic source of material, just like any other
scale. But be careful to use the right notes, in the right register. Otherwise, it will sound like a
regular 12 tone row...
The following material, demonstrate how the C dorian 12 tone scale can be used.

œœ ∏
bœ bœ œœ b www
b œœœ b œœ œœ b œœœ b œœœ b œœœ
Triads

& b œœ œœ b œœœ b œœœ œ œ

œ œ
8

œœ ∏
œ b œœ b ww
b œ œœ b œœ b b œœ b œœ œœ b œœœ œœ
Three note voicings in fourths

b œ œœ b œ œ œ w
& œ œœ b œ œ œ œ bœ
12
œ

b œ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ w
Ascending thirds

b œ œ œ
& bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ
16
œ

œ œ œ œ
bœ bœ œ bœ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ bœ
Four note arpeggios

œ
& bœ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ
œ
∏
20

œ œ œ œ œ bœ b˙
bœ bœ œ bœ
& œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ
24

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