Symmetrical Scales

General

– Scales Based Off of Repeating Intervallic Patterns 

– it is Very Common for Both, Improvisors or Composers to Form Patterns with them (there are Many Interesting Symmetrical Patterns you can Build to Work with them)

– Symmetrical Scales can be Transposed to Certain Scale Degrees while Retaining the Same Notes (e.g. a Whole Tone Starting on D has the Exact Same Notes as Whole Tone Starting on C and also E has the Same Note, so you can Move Seamlessly Between these Keys)

– the Most Basic One is the Chromatic Scale that is a Series of Repeating Semitones

4 Commonly Used Symmetrical Scales

Whole Tone Series of Repeating Whole Steps, No Perfect 5th, Rather Dreamy Sound, a Whole Tone Starting on D has the Exact Same Notes as Whole Tone Starting on C so you can for Example Transpose Seamlessly between these Keys (or E etc.)

Half-Whole Diminished = Pattern of Half-Step and Whole-Step etc., is a 8 Note Scale that Works with Diminished Chords by Having the Diminished Triad as Well as the Diminished 7 Chord, Mysterious Sound, Transpose via Minor Thirds to Retain the Same Notes (e.g. C HW Diminished is the Same as Eb HW Diminished or the Same as F# HW Diminished or the Same as A HW Diminished)

Whole-Half Diminished = Pattern of Whole-Step and Half-Step etc., is a 8 Note Scale that Works with Diminished Chords by Having the Diminished Triad as Well as the Diminished 7 Chord, Mysterious Sound, Transpose via Minor Thirds to Retain the Same Notes (e.g. C WH Diminished is the Same as Eb WH Diminished or the Same as F# WH Diminished or the Same as A WH Diminished)

Augmented = Alternating Minor 3rds and Half Steps, a 6 Note Scale, Mysterious, Ambiguous and Suspenseful Sound, Transpose via Major Thirds to Retain the Same Notes (e.g. C+ is the Same as E+ or the Same as G#+), Notice that this Scale can Work Over an Augmented Triad Starting on Any One of Its Degrees (e.g. you can use it on C Aug Chord or Eb Aug or E Aug or G# Aug or even B Aug as All the Notes of of these Augmented Chords are the are Right in the C Scale)