The Whistle And Its Modal Scales - Part 2
⚠ (:title The Whistle And Its Modal Scales - Part 2:)
The flattened 3rd note
The easiest fingerhole to half-cover is the fifth hole from the top, which is usually the largest hole on a standard whistle. With practice this will lower the third note of the basic scale a semitone (b3).
A Melodic Minor scale
By using a flattened 3rd instead of the normal 3rd, we get a Melodic Minor scale and its modes, with Melodic Major from 5. In classical music the Melodic Minor scale is used only when ascending, and the Natural Minor when descending. In Jazz it is used also descending if wanted.
| Melodic Minor modal scales | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | ||
| Melodic Minor, Jazz Minor | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Dorian b2, Jazz Minor inverse | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Lydian #5 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | ||
| Lydian b7, Lydian Dominant | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | ||
| Melodic Major | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Locrian #2, Minor Locrian | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Locrian b4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
The flattened 6th note
Another finger hole suitable for half-covering is the second hole from the top. This will produce a lowered sixth note in our basic scale. An alternative for half-covering is to use a forked fingering, like XOXXXX, which works for some whistles. On a D whistle this introduced the Bb.
A Harmonic Minor scale
If we use a flattened 3rd as above for the Melodic Minor, plus a flattened 6th, we get Harmonic Minor modal scales. Note the augmented whole-tone (3 semitone) interval from b6 to 7. Harmonic Minor retains a semitone step to the octave, as in a Major scale.
| Harmonic Minor modal scales | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | ||
| Harmonic Minor, Spanish Gypsy, Minor #7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Locrian #6 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Ionian #5 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | ||
| Romanian, Nakriz, Misheberekh, Dorian #4 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | ||
| Spanish Gypsy (Flamenco), Hijaz, Ahava Rabah | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Lydian #2 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | ||
| Ultralocrian | 7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 |
More Diatonic scales
Now if we flatten the 7th in the above Harmonic Minor, we loose the semitone step to the Octave. Using b3, b6 and b7 we get a set of Diatonic modal scales with Natural Minor in first position. For example: on a D whistle, which plays normally in D Major, we now play in D Minor.
| Diatonic modal scales | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | For D Whistle | ||
| Aeolian, Natural Minor | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | D Minor | ||
| Locrian | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | E Locrian | ||
| Ionian, Major | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | F Major | ||
| Dorian | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | G Dorian | ||
| Phrygian | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | A Phrygian | ||
| Lydian | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | Bb Lydian | ||
| Mixolydian | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | C Mixolydian |
If we use a flattened 3rd and 7th , but not a flattened 6th as above, we get another set of Diatonic scales, with Dorian in first position. On a D whistle we use F and C instead of F# and C#:
| Diatonic modal scales | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | For D Whistle | ||
| Dorian | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | b7 | 1 | D Dorian | ||
| Phrygian | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | E Phrygian | ||
| Lydian | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | F Lydian | ||
| Mixolydian | 4 | 5 | 6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | G Mixolydian | ||
| Aeolian, Minor | 5 | 6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | A Minor | ||
| Locrian | 6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | B Locrian | ||
| Ionian, Major | b7 | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | b7 | C Major |
More Melodic Minor scales
We can explore yet another set of Melodic Minor scale modes, by using a flattened 6th and 7th. This set starts with a Melodic Major scale, the associated Melodic Minor starts on 4.
| Melodic Minor modal scales | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | ||
| Melodic Major | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | ||
| Locrian #2, Minor Locrian | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Locrian b4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Melodic Minor, Jazz Minor | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Dorian b2, Jazz Minor inverse | 5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Lydian #5 | b6 | b7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | ||
| Lydian b7, Lydian Dominant | b7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 |
Harmonic Major scales
If we only use a flattened 6th, we get Harmonic Major modal scales. These are like Harmonic Minor modal scales above, but the 3rd is not flattened, so the scale retains its Major character up to V.
| Harmonic Major modal scales | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | ||
| Harmonic Major, Ionian b6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Dorian b5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Phrygian b4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Lydian b3, Jazz Minor #4 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Mixolydian b2 | 5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Lydian #2 #5 | b6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | ||
| Locrian bb7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | 7 |
Going further
So far we used combinations of three flattened notes, b3, b6 and b7. From these b7 can usually be achieved with forked fingering, and b6, depending on the whistle, too. But b3 must be produced by semi-covering the fifth hole.
To go further with our exploration of modal scales on a whistle, we need to learn half covering the third hole (from the top) and the sixth (lowest) hole.
The third hole may be smaller than hole two, and producing the note with half covering may be tricky. The sixth hole may be also a bit small, and producing the half-covered note may even proof not possible. It helps if it is larger. Lets see what modal scales we can find! → Go to Part 3