Relation with Major Scale: Seventh mode of the melodic minor scale, but with a minor rather than major seventh.
Theoretical Aspects
Sound Character: Extremely dissonant and unstable, this scale is full of tensions and chromatics. Ideal for creating a surreal, abstract, or unsettling atmosphere.
Typical Chord: 7alt
Modal Context: Used in jazz contexts on altered dominants, often replacing the V7 in minor resolutions.
Harmonic Use: On 7alt chords or for modulations rich in chromatics, especially in complex turnarounds.
Musical Context
Musical Styles: Jazz, Fusion, Experimental
Songs using the scale:
Nightmare - Art Farmer
The Sorcerer - Herbie Hancock
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum - Wayne Shorter
Moment’s Notice - John Coltrane
Evoked Atmosphere: Twisted, anxious, full of tension and ready to explode.