Arabic Scales? Anyone know more than me??

  • Thread starter Thread starter j.troup
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j.troup

j.troup

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Cuz all I know is what I have been able to gather in the past 30 minutes of internet searching.


I'm doing a song in an Arabic scale, and I just wanted to find out more about how Arabic scales worked, so that I can build the layers of the instrumental, and can actually write a melody over it.



Even if someone can hit me with a resource for finding what key a particular group of notes is in, that would help greatly.



Thanx FP!
 
I know it is a long shot but do you happen to have Scott Storch's phone number? I only know the basic stuff that can be found on the internet. Maybe get some Arabic music and mimic the scales they use.
 
deanlofts said:
I know it is a long shot but do you happen to have Scott Storch's phone number? I only know the basic stuff that can be found on the internet. Maybe get some Arabic music and mimic the scales they use.
Click to expand...


Scott Storch doesn't do true Arabic stuff. He uses Western chords, and he bends them occasionally, to mimic Arabic stuff.

Arabic music utilizes half tones and quarter tones, so their music actually dances in between the notes.


I find it fascinating...but I have to try to write a song to it!!
 
Troup, check out Ravvi Shankar for some old school inspiration...one of the original gurus of the Sitar.

Just realize that Arabic music is founded on vocal groaning meant to religiously evoke and relate human emotion...the reason the Arabic scale is in quarters and halfs is that the human voice doesn't have exact finger positions, or chord diagrams etc...so in instrument form the notes are imprecise while being perfectly precise.

Hope that didn't come off as complete bullsh*t lol

On another note, check out some Navajo tribal songs....the similarities will blow your mind.
 
Last edited:
F00T said:
Troup, check out Ravvi Shankar for some old school inspiration...one of the original gurus of the Sitar.

Just realize that Arabic music is founded on vocal groaning meant to religiously evoke and relate human emotion...the reason the Arabic scale is in quarters and halfs is that the human voice doesn't have exact finger positions, or chord diagrams etc...so in instrument form the notes are imprecise while being perfectly precise.

Hope that didn't come off as complete bullsh*t lol

On another note, check out some Navajo tribal songs....the similarities will blow your mind.
Click to expand...


No, that actually helps. The way that I learn is that I have to understand WHY something works the way it does...then I can manipulate it to do whatever I want it to do...

So that helps me understand the WHY.


And thanks for the name. I'll google that.

---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 PM ----------
Desmond *A* said:
http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/piano/

^ That has an assortment of exotic scales, I hope it helps
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Looks great. I'm about to check it out!



Checked...this is the SHIT!!!!



I owe you for this one. I found the key that my song is in already. Arabian C#/Db
 
Have you ever had something you were looking for, but didn't know exactly what it was you were looking for, or if it even existed? This was it for me! Thanks Desmond.

And J. Troup, I know a lot of good Arabic tracks my friends introduced me to that can get you up and running on 'the current trend' without a problem. Although, its not primarily 'their market' you want, to you sense what the current Arabic Music trend carries. Some of those producers are really good as well.
 
Whatever U Like by Nicole is formed on an arabic scale right?
 
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