Mohammedan scale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Music theory Mohammedan scale is exactly the same as the harmonic minor scale. The Mohammedan scale is the same as natural minor but with a chromatically raised seventh.
The scale can be found in many traditional middle-eastern songs, and has been in use for a while.
Mohammedan Scale in corresponding keys:
Key of C
C D Eb F G Ab B
Key of D
D E F G A Bb C#
Key of F
F G Ab Bb C Db E
...and so on
You can see as shown in Mohammedan Scale in key of "C", it is the same as the natural minor scale, ( C D Eb F G Ab B) but with the seventh being raised a semi-tone to B. The raised seventh can considerably "darken" the mood of the more "happy sounding" natural minor scale.
Example:
Image:C Minor Scale.mid C Minor Scale
Image:C Mohammedan Scale.mid C Mohammedan Scale (which has an accidental seventh raised by a semi-tone)
You can see how the accidental seventh considerably makes the mood more gloomy and bleaker.
