Re: Mogen Ovos again

[BarMusProd <BarMusProd...>]

Dear Michel,

In a message dated 6/12/00 4:26:14 AM, borzykowski (at) infomaniak(dot)ch 
writes:

>Thanks for you answer, Ken!
>
>
>
>I wasn't asking about the typical ashkenazic modes you listed (that, as
>a
>
>klezmer sax player, I'm supposed to know), but about the jewish names (if
>
>any) of the occidental scales (melodic minor, harmonic minor, etc.), just
>as
>
>Mogen Ovos is natural minor.
>
>Be well!
>
>Michal

Although Cantor Ken has responded to you with a clarification, I think the 
answer to your question is that there are no Hebrew (nor Yiddish, to the best 
of my knowledge) names for all of the traditional "Church" modes nor for the 
standard Western music scales like melodic minor, etc. (I think that is what 
you were asking). It just so happens that Magein Avos is the same as Aeolian 
mode (natural minor); Adoshem Malach is the same as Mixolydian mode (major 
with a flat 7th), but the subtonic is the normal 7th and the 10th is often 
minor, giving you (A B) C D E F G A Bb C (D Eb); Ahavah Rabbah is similar to t
he traditional Phrygian mode (hence the nickname "Freygish") but has the 
characteristic augmented second between the 2nd and 3rd degrees, and in 
addition to Cantor Ken's notes, sometimes also has a second augmented 2nd 
between the lowered sixth and raised seventh degrees, but below the tonic the 
6th is raised-i.e. on C=(A B) C Db E F G Ab Bb (or B natural) C. These are 
the three most common cantillation modes, but as Cantor Ken points out there 
are a number of others (and as a Klezmer sax player you know all of this): 
the Mi Shebeirach (also called Av Harachamim or technically Ukrainian 
Dorian), and mixed modes as well (that borrow from two different modes 
depending on whether you are ascending or descending) like Yekum Purkan (the 
same as Adoshem Malach ascending, slightly different descending), Yishtabach 
(depending on who you read, a variant of Magein Avot or Ahavah Rabbah) and 
others. But no names for specific Western music scales.

But in reality, as Cantor Ken points out, the motives and melodic turns of 
phrase associated with each mode came before someone tried to make a "scale" 
and music theory out of them.

Best wishes,
Steve

Steve Barnett
Composer/Arranger/Producer
Barnett Music Productions
BarMusProd (at) aol(dot)com 

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