...........................................................................................................................................

Lesson 5

Musical

Example

Lesson 5

Secret

Score

Lesson 5

Score/

Music

 Using the Diminished Scale

This first example demonstrates a common usage of the diminished scale:

As you can hear, the diminished scale creates tension and unease. And it does so with little effort. The violin part illustrates that point:

Notice that the violins merely play up and down the C diminished scale. The tremolo bowing greatly contributes to this unsettled feeling.  

The accompanying clarinets and harp play a simple, repetitive pattern:

Notice that they simply play notes from the first half of the C diminished scale.