Hungarian minorities tortured my dog to death and then the next day my dog named superlocrian crawled out of his grave and had visions of another life but could hardly remember he was my best friend
Hungarian Minor was spooky sounding and Superlocrian sounded almost kind of pretty at times. I enjoyed the Superlocrian piece alot more. Love the concept of the video!
Thats kinda what i hear too. Hungarian Minor sounds moody and darker that the Superlocrian double flat 7 which sounds ` hopeful, despite a less than happy situation` Anyway, both together sounds like what a person battling mental stress, or illness might be feeling. Not quite finding a resolution that they are happy with no matter how many things they try. Mental torment. Poor devil. lol
The Hungarian minor sounds like a mysterious/terror dark meanwhile the superlocrian bb6 sounds like a melancholic/nostalgic/kinda depressing(the feeling) night alone.
Hearing the atmospheres you have created though your composition, really shows people the value of learning these heavily altered scales. I think many people are put off learning more scales because they don't think it's going to be useful. But when you are shown the effect they can have it's so refreshing and inspiring. What a great example.
For my ears, the Superlocrian bb7 has a built in sadness that the Hungarian doesn't have. The Hungarian sounds more anxious. It really depends on how you define "dark" since they are dark in entirely different ways. BTW: The G major pierces through the Hungarian Minor, to the point it cleanly resolves all the wonky chords around it. I love the sound of G Phrygian, G Major, Gsus4, back to G Major. I think I'm going to have to use it somewhere in my music.
Yes, because when you compose for dark movies, you usually create vertical sonic landscapes out of those scales. It always works :-) To the point that it almost became a cliche...
I discovered Hungarian minor on accident after playing with harmonic minor and Dorian #4 for so long that I sharped the 4th of harmonic minor. I also really liked the sound of to minor chords/arpeggios a half step apart, which is in Hungarian minor. I was not disappointed and it opened up so much improvisation to me
Hi Rick! As for which is darker, I'd have to pick the double flat scale. But you're right, they are both dark in their own ways. But what do I know? I'm just an old timer blues and rock player/recording artist and I can only read Nashville style lead sheets/number system and most of what I've learned about music theory I learned right here from you! I'm not kidding. I turned 70 years old in August and have played by ear, guitar, for 65 years. Thanks for all you've taught me...I love your channel! Dub
When you consider the advancements a lot of the old blues and jazz men contributed to even some of the hairier aspects of music theory , and many of those men where borderline illiterate, being an old timer bluesman aint nothing to be ashamed of! The blues taught me a *lot* about music, especially restraint. As a younger dude I just wanted to play LOTS OF REALLY FAST NOTES ALL THE TIME, and my guitar teacher, a bluesman himself, really got me to listen to a lot of the old dudes and not just pay attention to the notes they play, but the notes they don't.
I REALLY appreciate when you walk through all of the triads in a mode. Also, just wanted to thank you for all of your videos. In seven months I went from not knowing virtually any music theory to having more knowledge than a friend who was a music major. You're the best, Rick!
Thanks Rick. The Hungarian Minor, to me, sounds winter-is-never-ending dark, while the Superlocrian bb7 is Alistair Crowley switched-to-Sanka-today dark.
To me the Superlocrian is more beautiful sounding and so I can more easily get engaged with the darkness of it. It’s more inviting than the Hungarian Minor, and because of that it makes a bigger impact emotionally.
I'm wondering, could you recommend some modern classical composers who do these slow quite pieces (like your demo pieces) with the dark scales? I love it so much I could listen to it for hours! Really takes me away from the world into another weird one. Thanks for the vids you're so good at giving a concise resource for scale theory. Look forward to future videos ;) Rory
I love this. I'm a bass player and am always looking for intriguing voicings and colors. Thanks for this. Your videos cover very complex issues but you make them presentable and digestible to non-experts.
Interpretation of Rick's composition follows. I was camping in the woods, minding my own business, trying to work out some anxieties, when out of the blue, some jerks that were rejected from the Endless Legend game showed up demanding that I give up "all my dust." I realized they were probably from the government of whatever country I was trying to get some sleep in, so I jumped into my rental Fiat (when did I get a Fiat? I thought it was a Mazda?) and hauled ass out of there. Sadly, the Fiat has a gas tank measured in milliliters, and wasn't totally topped up, so I got as far as I could into some Alpine plateau, and found myself pondering my fate while waiting on a tow truck, wondering how much it was going to cost. At some point, it occurred to me that the Endless Legend jerks might have followed me, cuz of the unique tire tracks of the Fiat, so I ditched the car and walked to some city nearby, thereby saving myself quite a lot of money, and decided to spend that money on a coffee. Mmm...coffee! Unfortunately, it was 5am, and the clocks were running backwards in accordance with some strange experiment deep underground in France, and before I knew it, I was downtown in Prague, not far from where I rented the Mazda. Thoroughly freaked out at this point, I ran blindly in circles until I found myself on what felt like the Atchafalaya Bridge, but 250 miles long and reinforced with steel girders. Would that I could have remained on that circuitous route to the lake outside the 5am coffee city, for at least there would still be hope for coffee! But alas, I was lost...forever...destined to give up my dust...but to WHOM?!?!
I have to say Rick when you were playing the Triads and seventh chords it seemed they were almost evenly matched in darkness, however when it came to the etudes the Hungarian seemed more spooky Darkness where the super locrian sounded suspenseful dark if that makes any sense, and I think in your brain it does
Yeah when you just play the triads it can seem like chaotic gibberish but I also found the pieces illustrated the different character of the modes nicely.
I like the superlocrian bb7 a lot more for pure dark applications. The hungarion minor has a cool flavor too as it's crunchier, (has those angular sharp edges). But the superlocrian bb7 intervalically has the purest darkness, (rounded, soft edges, counterclockwise around the circle) sound, which, if I'm really trying to go that direction on, I might as well go all out / all the way.
Hungarian minor sounds like a bad dream, but Superlocrian bb7 is like waking up from that bad dream and realizing it's a reality. They both have a similar eerie quality, but the Superlocrian bb7 feels more grounded and plausible than the ethereal Hungarian minor.
Rick these videos are great! Love how you present technical information concisely and then put it into practice for the viewer, all in the same video! much appreciated!
the hungarian minor has a kind of spooky/ghost story/haunted house vibe. the super locrian bb7 has more of a twisted/tortured mind/psychotic terror kind of vibe. just discovered your videos today. fascinating, informative and inspirational. liked and subbed. thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Beautiful piece at the end. The section based on the hungarian minor was more direct or focussed and the section based on the superlocrian bb7 was more subtle. I think I like the superlocrain bb7 more - not sure which is darker though.
It's first time i'm commenting on your videos Rick. I think what you're doing here in youtube is revolutionary ,the flow of so much usefull information, music theory explained, practical music topics explained on the guitar, as long as all these material been organized help me a lot to undestand difficult music concepts that i was stuggling with... I don't think a thank you is enough..but thank you for your belief that knowledge have to be shared among all people, thank you for that Rick
I think the Hungarian Minor is the darker of the 2, I prefer the Super Locrian bb7 has such a beautiful key structure. To me, it's enchanting with a sinister undertone with influences of enlightenment and desperation. I want to write a piece in this Mode it's amazing. I just don't know how. Thank you so much for making these videos
I feel like the superlocrian bb7 is way darker if you play just the chords, but when you play the scalar melodies the hungarian minor sounds much darker. This is very interesting to me, and I NEVER would've noticed this if you hadn't demonstrated it, man. Thanks, Rick!
Thanks for laying out the scales at the start! Superlocrian actually sounds very beautiful and wistful, Hungarian minor sounds darker and less hopeful IMO. Great composition
Rick, thank you for the wealth of info. I took music theory in community college, but I never really learned enough about modes and the power behind them to create a world of emotion and sensation. Just playing thru the available chords in each scale created a rise in and fall of tension thru out the examples. Your teaching style, composition and piano skills are inspiring.
This is beautiful Rick! Not so much a war as a meeting of two old friends from different countries in the same region of Eastern Europe. I particularly like the beginning of the composition. It shows how easy it is to create emotions, and how the simpler arrangements with less clutter are the clearest and most powerful. Combined with an image of a similar dark, still scene (the woods in twilight) and the emotion is increased exponentially.
Thanks Rick. I have never been an intuitive composer, I have always done it through trying to 'understand' the mechanics first and then applying it. Your videos help me with that a huge amount. Just learning the construction of new and interesting scales has given me a ton of harmonic and melodic ideas that I am now working on. As for these two scales, 'dark' is definitely subjective. I find a 'scary' quality to the Hungarian Minor whereas the Superlocrian bb7 just feels like sadness. The combination of the two however is wonderful. Thanks again.
I think the darkest melody doesn't so much depend on what scale it is in, it depends more on the instrumentation, rythm and other arrangement techniques. But this video is great for us to never get stuck playing the same thing twice without wanting too.
well, first, I guess, we have to define what do we mean by "dark". anyways, as most people noted, Hungarian sounded spookier, and if we mean dark in a danger-related way or insanity-related way, then Hungarian surely wins the competition for me.
This is awesome, I wrote a riff in Hungarian minor when I learned the scale but was never able to take it anywhere. It was cool to see & hear all of those chords, I feel inspired now. Thanks Rick!
I've only been following your guitar oriented videos and was great to see the piano used in this one. I was taught Piano from age 7 and by 11 I wanted to give up because it just got too much just practicing and playing pieces I didn't necesarily conect to. Nowadays people have it easy with all the resources available. I took up guitar at 14 I think as my mum had an old clasical guitar and I went on a journey, very slowly, in progressing my craft. I only ever had 2 lessons an they covered the basic scales and I just taught myself along with a songwriting course which helped me understand composition a decade after. Today I'm so grateful for my musical background but so disappointed I gave up Piano. I'm still struggling to find a way back into piano because I'm so far from being able to play anything meaningful or to be able to compose anything of note. For me piano is still a great instrument that can really create great mood and atmosphere and still something I want to pursue and perhaps help me daughter if she is interested. However, my wife is a multi-instrumentalist too, so the options for my daughter will depend on what instruments are availavble to her.
The Hungarian Minor definitely sounded darker to my ears. While the Superlocrian bb7 did sound dark, it did not sound as frightening as the Hungarian Minor. Both seem to be able to work well in a horror/thriller movie/video game. However, the Hungarian minor seemed to be at the peak of creepiness. Great work!
I think the Hungarian minor is the darker scale. I enjoyed both the scales equally, though. They were both beautiful and emotive in their own way. Thanks Rick! I always enjoy your videos!
I agree with jrestrepo08's comment. Both pieces of music you made evoke emotions on the sadder, darker side but Superlocrian bb7 sounds almost pretty at certain points in the music. I like the triads from each scale though. Even when played in order, they sound very musical and inspirational to me.
I would say Hungarian minor is brighter because a sharp 4 is the defining feature of Lydian, the brightest mode. I'm currently trying to determine the comparative brightest of ten symmetrical scales. It's hard to quantify.
You made me realize that the reason I really liked some classical pieces was actually the use of these scales... They sound deep, sophisticated and expressive, I am mesmerized. Can't wait to write some metal in it! Can anyone recommend any pieces that lean into these scales?
I am here as a fan of music, and trying to better understand the mechanics of harmony and scales, etc. I've always loved dissonance and minor key tonality. Now, these modes are spectacular. I come back to this particular video often just to hear the piece you've written to demonstrate them...It's amazing! Most likely because it's being executed by a master craftsman, more than the scales. But those scales and chords are beautiful building material.
These videos are absolutely awesome. My world revolves around dissonance and to see stuff like this is extremely helpful and stimulates creativity. Thanks again!
As much as for many other commenters on this piece, for me the Hungarian Minor part sounds darker. My guess for the primary reason would be that (if I get it correctly) superlocrian bb7 is a super-unstable more of the harmonic minor scale from its second degree (so for C, it would be Db harmonic minor). Hence, when I hear your piece, my ears automatically adjust to feel the root at Db and I instinctively appreciate the chords and the melodies in relation to it rather than to C. This adjustment becomes especially strong since the first time when you change the root of the chord from C to something else in the scale. And when you come back to C, I do not feel it like a resolution. Hungarian minor, by contrast, has a very strong tendency to resolve to its root - it arguably is even a stronger mode of the double harmonic major scale than the double harmonic major scale itself :). This allows to appreciate that scale as it is. And obviously, when simply comparing the Hungarian minor scale and the harmonic minor scale in terms of darkness, the former wins due to that augmented 4th. P.S. Kick ass composing as always, Rick. It is really so awesome that you actually write top-notch music for instructional videos!
Superlocrian has a sort of pleasant melancholy to it.. it's actually quite beautiful to my ears. The Hungarian is like super tense and unsettling to me.. definitely darker. I prefer the bb7 scale, thanks for the upload!
Thanks Rick, really enjoyable and fascinating to listen to music theory described in an approachable way - albeit totally over my head! The Hungarian Minor sounded a lot more chaotic and dissonant a bit like finger nails down a chalkboard, whilst the Superlocrian was disturbing in a more sentimental way.
Great stuff! Superlocrian bb7 makes an appearance in China Gates by John Adams, Hungarian minor in Lou Harrison's piano concerto, of course among many other examples. But infinitely darker scales are possible outside of 12TET...
The C Hungarian Minor piece gave me rather exotic / oriental vibes than dark / ominous vibes - probably because of the intervallic structure of the scale. The beginning of the C Superlocrian bb7 piece actually put a bit of smile on my face because it started with an A-flat major chord with C on bass which sounded quite familiar and joyful for a few seconds. Then it, of course, progressed to a darker atmosphere, sounded more like a C-sharp melodic minor with C on bass, which sounded really cool. This combination of major tones and darker minor tones made this piece sound way more twisted and more dark. I personally think this latter piece was darker and better, too.
Hi Rick. Not a musician, but life long music lover. Ah those late romantic, early modern, squared-off Brits. Unabashedly romantic, richly flavored with modern tonality and rhythmic signatures, and yet so deep-hearted British. Who else would've flown wooden planes at the Nazis. (Came here from the Williams/Holst video. Had Holst on LP's in another life.) And speaking of Brits, your Hungarian immediately brought me to thinking of all the richness/dissonance of the music from Lawrence of Arabia. Wasn't aware of the whole David Lean/Maurice Jarre thing. Now, thanks to you I am. I think an old "family" film underrated I liked, "Island at the Top of the World". Now I know why. Maurice Jarre wrote and conducted. Thanks Rick. BTW, IQ and the abstract music connection obviously runs in your genetic pool. :) P.S. Long Live Albert Newman, Max Steiner, and Elmer Bernstein. Mmm, Bridge at Remaggen. And no I'm not a fossil. I was only 12 when the Republicans were at San Francisco and N Rockefeller learned even HE couldn't divorce the old lady, remarry a sweet young thing and win a Republican primary. Wait, maybe I was old when I was young. Loved dissonance even then I guess.
My ear wants to recontextualise the C superlocrian bb7 to Db harmonic minor, which makes the lingering C bass notes sound tense and unstable to me. Furthermore, the lack of a perfect fifth to fix the key centre makes it feel even more fleeting. I'm not sure if it's the "darker" of the two, but it is certainly more unsettling.
Very nice work. Such beautiful colours. I loved all the scales you showed, each with its own realm. The pieces you composed revealed many aspects of these scales, it was a nice experience.
great video as always Rick! I think that the Hungarian is darker. Superlocrian bb7 I perceive it as a "Major mode" with extra darkness. As if it get progressively dark, and Hungarian is very dark from the beginning. Cheers from Argentina and thank you
I noticed that when Rick harmonizes scales there are often a few chords per note. What's the theory there? For example in the Hungarian minor, both the Ab minor and an Ab major triads are in key - but I wouldn't think that a C major scale could contain a major and minor triad for the VI chord... Thanks for any feedback and thanks Rick for all the great videos!
Thanks a lot, Rick. You are an institute yourself. There's so much to learn. Sometimes it's daunting but eventually your videos answer so many of my questions . I already have your book. It's a great resource and a reference for any musician but I hope you will have that book available in print one day with contents indexed by page numbers etc. but I have it on my iPad , iPhone and tablet so I can read it anywhere I go . I haven't come across anything like your videos over the years on UA-cam with so much rich content and such meticulous consistency . You are doing an amazing service to the musicians free of charge . Keep up the great work! I would love to personally thank you on my next visit to the US.
Personally Rick the Hungarian was darker , although I dont know enough about music theory to explain why other than possibly the minor chords and that I thought it was slower. I have much to learn ..loving your videos
By the way, I love the pieces - you've got a great flair for proportioning the pieces so that the scalar irregularities are melodically justified. Kudos!
As Setzerous suggests below, what's darker depends on your own personal spectrum as you go down your emotional spiral . For me, fear is generally darker than sadness. So, although I personally thinks its a close, the Hungarian Minor has my vote. Their both beautiful for sure. And I'm feeling the urgent need to study them both now though. I want that ability to go dark more authoritatively in my playing. Sometimes the major scale modes just won't do.
Best episode ever! Going to start playing with these scales right away. Will there be a PDF with the chords of these scales and how they are related soon? By the way, I go off grid for a month and production quality is way up, thanks so much! The animated piano makes it very easy to see what is going on.
Superlocrian sounded way more scary to me because of the little brighter notes contrasting with the dark feel. Feels like being at the beginning stages of memory loss or something, or perhaps coming home and having it look unfamiliar, knowing something is wrong or out of place, sensing that an uninvited guest has entered, but not being able to pick out why you feel that way just yet.
Can't agree with you there. On feel alone it feels different to harmonic minor to me. Can't put my finger on it but it has a different feeling than the relatively familiar harmonic minor. It's more listless and indecisive, more spacious, overcast, paler, whereas harmonic minor tends to sound very decisive and powerful, dark, closed. Also I whipped out the guitar and tried playing both scales over it, I kept getting pulled back to C.
I thought when we compared the scales SLbb7 was much darker but the pieces really changed that for me.. SLbb7 had a romantic,nostalgic, almost comforting sound at times! Interesting!!
And also, Tigran (Armenian pianist) has a very distinctive sound.. does anyone know predominantly his 'home' key sound?? Kind of reminded me of Hungarian
Love it! Your channel uploads on a very regular basis and every video is just packed with knowledge, summarized in a very clear way Keep em coming Rick!
I like the superlocrian bb7 more, to me it's a little darker and it sounds a little more consonant. I really love the pieces that you've composed based on these scales, you gave me so many ideas , so thank you, you're awesome :D
The Hungarian minor was black dog depression where you could see no way out. The C superlocrian, on the other hand, had moments of peace and even humour, like sometimes when you are grieving. I try not to watch the images so as not to swayed by the images you have chosen. So interesting!
I don't know if its darker but I like the sound of the Hungarian Minor better. It has sweeter dissonances, where as the Super Locrian bb7 seemed more consonant. I really like when you would transition between the two though. That sounded really nice.
Great job, Rick. This was a wonderful video. Great lesson and amazing music. I felt like the Superlocrian was more accessible to my mind and therefore brighter to me. Cheers.
1:30 would be great if you would include MIDI files with chords for further experiments, for example how those chords sound when alternate tuning is used for instance
It was interesting. The Hungarian feels oriental kinda dark but brings "just one sound". Superlocrian really feels more "complete" to me, bringing uplifting tensions that resolve back into darkness. Beautiful sadness, sorrow and melancholy.
Rick, you should have filmed this with one lit candle on the piano for extra creep value. The music, along with the first shot of the trees, made me think of a Rod Serling's Night Gallery episode. The tune was bad-ass - loved it!
Superlocrian bb7 = my dog died
Hungarian minor = my dog ate my family
this describes hungary really well
Hahahah oh my God , this got rolling on the floor 😂😂😂
That's a perfect description! hahahahahahahahahaha
Hungarian minorities tortured my dog to death and then the next day my dog named superlocrian crawled out of his grave and had visions of another life but could hardly remember he was my best friend
I can't decide which one is worse.
The way it sounds to me is that Hungarian has a creepy vibe to it where as superlocrian is more sorrowful/melancholy. Great video rick!
ditto that
My thoughts exactly!
Yeah the superlocrian has an Eastern open sound. Kinda like when an anime finishes and things aren't quite the way they're supposed to be
I agree. The word that comes to mind for Hungarian minor is "deranged". For super locrian bb7 "hopelessness" comes to mind.
that's funny, it's exactly the opposite for me ! really...
Hungarian Minor sounded like a haunted house, while the suoerlocrian sounded like the world's most depressed ghost
ufomer I’ve never heard of the suoerlocrian. Can u send a link to a vid about?
lol
Hungarian Minor was spooky sounding and Superlocrian sounded almost kind of pretty at times. I enjoyed the Superlocrian piece alot more. Love the concept of the video!
Thats kinda what i hear too. Hungarian Minor sounds moody and darker that the Superlocrian double flat 7 which sounds ` hopeful, despite a less than happy situation` Anyway, both together sounds like what a person battling mental stress, or illness might be feeling. Not quite finding a resolution that they are happy with no matter how many things they try. Mental torment. Poor devil. lol
I'm with you guys, except I liked the first piece a little more than the other.
The Hungarian minor sounds like a mysterious/terror dark meanwhile the superlocrian bb6 sounds like a melancholic/nostalgic/kinda depressing(the feeling) night alone.
Hungarian minor was creepier but superlocrian bb7 was sadder
I think that it's quite the opposite :D
Two sides of the same coin, maybe? The "coin" here can be the way different people define what means 'dark' for them.
Yeah, I thought the word 'creepy' when I heard the Hungarian minor too. And 'foreboding' with the bb7
@@endriu55if you close your eyes you will hear it stronger, I agree.
It's the opposite for me
Hearing the atmospheres you have created though your composition, really shows people the value of learning these heavily altered scales. I think many people are put off learning more scales because they don't think it's going to be useful. But when you are shown the effect they can have it's so refreshing and inspiring. What a great example.
Thanks so much!
For my ears, the Superlocrian bb7 has a built in sadness that the Hungarian doesn't have. The Hungarian sounds more anxious. It really depends on how you define "dark" since they are dark in entirely different ways.
BTW: The G major pierces through the Hungarian Minor, to the point it cleanly resolves all the wonky chords around it. I love the sound of G Phrygian, G Major, Gsus4, back to G Major. I think I'm going to have to use it somewhere in my music.
Your composed piece sounds like the score of a psychological thriller/horror movie
Amazing music
Yes! The Hungarian minor particularly was like a classic horror film from the 60s or 70s.
Yes, because when you compose for dark movies, you usually create vertical sonic landscapes out of those scales. It always works :-) To the point that it almost became a cliche...
The feeling I get from the scales is that the Hungarian Minor sounds darker and chilling. The Superlocrian sounds sad yet suspenseful.
The superlocrian is Darker...!
Hungarian minor: spooky outer space scary something creeping up
Superlocrian: more spiritual and more at peace after a storm. Empty distant
I discovered Hungarian minor on accident after playing with harmonic minor and Dorian #4 for so long that I sharped the 4th of harmonic minor. I also really liked the sound of to minor chords/arpeggios a half step apart, which is in Hungarian minor. I was not disappointed and it opened up so much improvisation to me
5:31 = Hungarian Minor
6:06 = Superlocrian bb7
Hi Rick! As for which is darker, I'd have to pick the double flat scale. But you're right, they are both dark in their own ways. But what do I know? I'm just an old timer blues and rock player/recording artist and I can only read Nashville style lead sheets/number system and most of what I've learned about music theory I learned right here from you! I'm not kidding. I turned 70 years old in August and have played by ear, guitar, for 65 years. Thanks for all you've taught me...I love your channel!
Dub
When you consider the advancements a lot of the old blues and jazz men contributed to even some of the hairier aspects of music theory , and many of those men where borderline illiterate, being an old timer bluesman aint nothing to be ashamed of! The blues taught me a *lot* about music, especially restraint. As a younger dude I just wanted to play LOTS OF REALLY FAST NOTES ALL THE TIME, and my guitar teacher, a bluesman himself, really got me to listen to a lot of the old dudes and not just pay attention to the notes they play, but the notes they don't.
I REALLY appreciate when you walk through all of the triads in a mode. Also, just wanted to thank you for all of your videos. In seven months I went from not knowing virtually any music theory to having more knowledge than a friend who was a music major. You're the best, Rick!
Thanks Rick. The Hungarian Minor, to me, sounds winter-is-never-ending dark, while the Superlocrian bb7 is Alistair Crowley switched-to-Sanka-today dark.
Mike McCourt This is closest to my feeling about them without me revealing my own scary story. ;)
To me the Superlocrian is more beautiful sounding and so I can more easily get engaged with the darkness of it. It’s more inviting than the Hungarian Minor, and because of that it makes a bigger impact emotionally.
I'm wondering, could you recommend some modern classical composers who do these slow quite pieces (like your demo pieces) with the dark scales? I love it so much I could listen to it for hours! Really takes me away from the world into another weird one. Thanks for the vids you're so good at giving a concise resource for scale theory. Look forward to future videos ;) Rory
Frédéric Chopin. ;-)
Wow!! Both sound great to my ears. First section very Skriabinesque
Superlocrian bb7 : *I wanna die*
Hungarian Major : *Please don't kill me*
Agreed
I love this. I'm a bass player and am always looking for intriguing voicings and colors. Thanks for this. Your videos cover very complex issues but you make them presentable and digestible to non-experts.
For those who are interested, this Hungarian one, within Turkish makam world, is called Neveser.
please reffer to an internet address that teaches turkish and arabic scales
There's an app called piano companion that has a scales dictionary including arabic, turkish, indian, chinese, hungarian, etc., scales.
TZB Alexander You... are... AMAZING
I had a buddy that was a Saz player , did weddings and stuff, and man there are some really great scales in Turkish music.
Interpretation of Rick's composition follows.
I was camping in the woods, minding my own business, trying to work out some anxieties, when out of the blue, some jerks that were rejected from the Endless Legend game showed up demanding that I give up "all my dust." I realized they were probably from the government of whatever country I was trying to get some sleep in, so I jumped into my rental Fiat (when did I get a Fiat? I thought it was a Mazda?) and hauled ass out of there. Sadly, the Fiat has a gas tank measured in milliliters, and wasn't totally topped up, so I got as far as I could into some Alpine plateau, and found myself pondering my fate while waiting on a tow truck, wondering how much it was going to cost. At some point, it occurred to me that the Endless Legend jerks might have followed me, cuz of the unique tire tracks of the Fiat, so I ditched the car and walked to some city nearby, thereby saving myself quite a lot of money, and decided to spend that money on a coffee. Mmm...coffee! Unfortunately, it was 5am, and the clocks were running backwards in accordance with some strange experiment deep underground in France, and before I knew it, I was downtown in Prague, not far from where I rented the Mazda. Thoroughly freaked out at this point, I ran blindly in circles until I found myself on what felt like the Atchafalaya Bridge, but 250 miles long and reinforced with steel girders. Would that I could have remained on that circuitous route to the lake outside the 5am coffee city, for at least there would still be hope for coffee! But alas, I was lost...forever...destined to give up my dust...but to WHOM?!?!
This music increases my need for prozac.
I have to say Rick when you were playing the Triads and seventh chords it seemed they were almost evenly matched in darkness, however when it came to the etudes the Hungarian seemed more spooky Darkness where the super locrian sounded suspenseful dark if that makes any sense, and I think in your brain it does
Yeah when you just play the triads it can seem like chaotic gibberish but I also found the pieces illustrated the different character of the modes nicely.
I like the superlocrian bb7 a lot more for pure dark applications. The hungarion minor has a cool flavor too as it's crunchier, (has those angular sharp edges). But the superlocrian bb7 intervalically has the purest darkness, (rounded, soft edges, counterclockwise around the circle) sound, which, if I'm really trying to go that direction on, I might as well go all out / all the way.
wow Chopin used these extensively! the super Locrian scale is inmediately recognizable and explains SO much.
Hungarian minor sounds like a bad dream, but Superlocrian bb7 is like waking up from that bad dream and realizing it's a reality. They both have a similar eerie quality, but the Superlocrian bb7 feels more grounded and plausible than the ethereal Hungarian minor.
Rick these videos are great! Love how you present technical information concisely and then put it into practice for the viewer, all in the same video! much appreciated!
the hungarian minor has a kind of spooky/ghost story/haunted house vibe. the super locrian bb7 has more of a twisted/tortured mind/psychotic terror kind of vibe. just discovered your videos today. fascinating, informative and inspirational. liked and subbed. thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Beautiful piece at the end. The section based on the hungarian minor was more direct or focussed and the section based on the superlocrian bb7 was more subtle. I think I like the superlocrain bb7 more - not sure which is darker though.
It's first time i'm commenting on your videos Rick. I think what you're doing here in youtube is revolutionary ,the flow of so much usefull information, music theory explained, practical music topics explained on the guitar, as long as all these material been organized help me a lot to undestand difficult music concepts that i was stuggling with...
I don't think a thank you is enough..but thank you for your belief that knowledge have to be shared among all people, thank you for that Rick
Thanks.....I'm gonna have to sleep with the lights on tonight.
I think the Hungarian Minor is the darker of the 2, I prefer the Super Locrian bb7 has such a beautiful key structure. To me, it's enchanting with a sinister undertone with influences of enlightenment and desperation. I want to write a piece in this Mode it's amazing.
I just don't know how. Thank you so much for making these videos
Wow the song you made with those is one of the greatest things ever made
I feel like the superlocrian bb7 is way darker if you play just the chords, but when you play the scalar melodies the hungarian minor sounds much darker. This is very interesting to me, and I NEVER would've noticed this if you hadn't demonstrated it, man. Thanks, Rick!
Thanks for laying out the scales at the start! Superlocrian actually sounds very beautiful and wistful, Hungarian minor sounds darker and less hopeful IMO. Great composition
Rick, thank you for the wealth of info. I took music theory in community college, but I never really learned enough about modes and the power behind them to create a world of emotion and sensation. Just playing thru the available chords in each scale created a rise in and fall of tension thru out the examples. Your teaching style, composition and piano skills are inspiring.
This is beautiful Rick! Not so much a war as a meeting of two old friends from different countries in the same region of Eastern Europe. I particularly like the beginning of the composition. It shows how easy it is to create emotions, and how the simpler arrangements with less clutter are the clearest and most powerful. Combined with an image of a similar dark, still scene (the woods in twilight) and the emotion is increased exponentially.
These always help me so much exactly what I need when u go through all the triads + 7th chords from any scales
Thanks Rick. I have never been an intuitive composer, I have always done it through trying to 'understand' the mechanics first and then applying it. Your videos help me with that a huge amount. Just learning the construction of new and interesting scales has given me a ton of harmonic and melodic ideas that I am now working on. As for these two scales, 'dark' is definitely subjective. I find a 'scary' quality to the Hungarian Minor whereas the Superlocrian bb7 just feels like sadness. The combination of the two however is wonderful. Thanks again.
I think the darkest melody doesn't so much depend on what scale it is in, it depends more on the instrumentation, rythm and other arrangement techniques. But this video is great for us to never get stuck playing the same thing twice without wanting too.
well, first, I guess, we have to define what do we mean by "dark". anyways, as most people noted, Hungarian sounded spookier, and if we mean dark in a danger-related way or insanity-related way, then Hungarian surely wins the competition for me.
agreed!
Agreed.
Well, I would say it sounds evil
This is awesome, I wrote a riff in Hungarian minor when I learned the scale but was never able to take it anywhere. It was cool to see & hear all of those chords, I feel inspired now. Thanks Rick!
I've only been following your guitar oriented videos and was great to see the piano used in this one.
I was taught Piano from age 7 and by 11 I wanted to give up because it just got too much just practicing and playing pieces I didn't necesarily conect to.
Nowadays people have it easy with all the resources available.
I took up guitar at 14 I think as my mum had an old clasical guitar and I went on a journey, very slowly, in progressing my craft.
I only ever had 2 lessons an they covered the basic scales and I just taught myself along with a songwriting course which helped me understand composition a decade after.
Today I'm so grateful for my musical background but so disappointed I gave up Piano.
I'm still struggling to find a way back into piano because I'm so far from being able to play anything meaningful or to be able to compose anything of note.
For me piano is still a great instrument that can really create great mood and atmosphere and still something I want to pursue and perhaps help me daughter if she is interested.
However, my wife is a multi-instrumentalist too, so the options for my daughter will depend on what instruments are availavble to her.
i love this kind of lessons ,it will take me weeks to fully understand and learn the new chord voicings that I've heard of from this video
The Hungarian Minor definitely sounded darker to my ears. While the Superlocrian bb7 did sound dark, it did not sound as frightening as the Hungarian Minor. Both seem to be able to work well in a horror/thriller movie/video game. However, the Hungarian minor seemed to be at the peak of creepiness. Great work!
Excellent composition papa B! It clearly demonstrates the distinct character of each diatonic.
Love the section after the Hungarian scale , the c superlocrian bb7 at the beginning we that melody that repeats is hypnotic.
That title made my day even better.
Winterstern R u a furry?
I think the Hungarian minor is the darker scale. I enjoyed both the scales equally, though. They were both beautiful and emotive in their own way. Thanks Rick! I always enjoy your videos!
I agree with jrestrepo08's comment. Both pieces of music you made evoke emotions on the sadder, darker side but Superlocrian bb7 sounds almost pretty at certain points in the music. I like the triads from each scale though. Even when played in order, they sound very musical and inspirational to me.
i couldn't concentrate on darkness anymore once i started listening to that superlocrian bb7 masterpiece. great performance.
I would say Hungarian minor is brighter because a sharp 4 is the defining feature of Lydian, the brightest mode. I'm currently trying to determine the comparative brightest of ten symmetrical scales. It's hard to quantify.
You made me realize that the reason I really liked some classical pieces was actually the use of these scales... They sound deep, sophisticated and expressive, I am mesmerized.
Can't wait to write some metal in it!
Can anyone recommend any pieces that lean into these scales?
What a beautiful piece. Gave me shivers. Please release! Really.
My vote : Hungarian darker Superlocrian sadder.
I am here as a fan of music, and trying to better understand the mechanics of harmony and scales, etc. I've always loved dissonance and minor key tonality. Now, these modes are spectacular. I come back to this particular video often just to hear the piece you've written to demonstrate them...It's amazing! Most likely because it's being executed by a master craftsman, more than the scales. But those scales and chords are beautiful building material.
Thanks Rick for putting together visual a keyboard showing where the notes are being press for each chord super useful
Hungarian minor seemed darker, super locrian =7 more easily harmonized, and melodic- beautiful scale!
These videos are absolutely awesome. My world revolves around dissonance and to see stuff like this is extremely helpful and stimulates creativity. Thanks again!
As much as for many other commenters on this piece, for me the Hungarian Minor part sounds darker. My guess for the primary reason would be that (if I get it correctly) superlocrian bb7 is a super-unstable more of the harmonic minor scale from its second degree (so for C, it would be Db harmonic minor). Hence, when I hear your piece, my ears automatically adjust to feel the root at Db and I instinctively appreciate the chords and the melodies in relation to it rather than to C. This adjustment becomes especially strong since the first time when you change the root of the chord from C to something else in the scale. And when you come back to C, I do not feel it like a resolution. Hungarian minor, by contrast, has a very strong tendency to resolve to its root - it arguably is even a stronger mode of the double harmonic major scale than the double harmonic major scale itself :). This allows to appreciate that scale as it is. And obviously, when simply comparing the Hungarian minor scale and the harmonic minor scale in terms of darkness, the former wins due to that augmented 4th. P.S. Kick ass composing as always, Rick. It is really so awesome that you actually write top-notch music for instructional videos!
Brilliant! Love your channel sir 😁👍🏽
Super Locrian bb7 actually sounds beautiful!
Amazing Rick! Thanks for the content!
Hey Rick, this is just for you! I do not like to write anything when I have nothing to add. So all I can say is thank you for these.
Super Locrian is a fancy name for the Altered Scale as is Overtone scale is really just a Lydian dominant scale
I truthfully thought only about which sounds I found more beautiful at a deep soul level:super number 2!Thanx,Rick.
Superlocrian has a sort of pleasant melancholy to it.. it's actually quite beautiful to my ears. The Hungarian is like super tense and unsettling to me.. definitely darker. I prefer the bb7 scale, thanks for the upload!
Beautiful work Rick. Love both scales they both have their place in the staff of life.
Thanks Rick, really enjoyable and fascinating to listen to music theory described in an approachable way - albeit totally over my head! The Hungarian Minor sounded a lot more chaotic and dissonant a bit like finger nails down a chalkboard, whilst the Superlocrian was disturbing in a more sentimental way.
Great stuff! Superlocrian bb7 makes an appearance in China Gates by John Adams, Hungarian minor in Lou Harrison's piano concerto, of course among many other examples. But infinitely darker scales are possible outside of 12TET...
The C Hungarian Minor piece gave me rather exotic / oriental vibes than dark / ominous vibes - probably because of the intervallic structure of the scale.
The beginning of the C Superlocrian bb7 piece actually put a bit of smile on my face because it started with an A-flat major chord with C on bass which sounded quite familiar and joyful for a few seconds. Then it, of course, progressed to a darker atmosphere, sounded more like a C-sharp melodic minor with C on bass, which sounded really cool. This combination of major tones and darker minor tones made this piece sound way more twisted and more dark. I personally think this latter piece was darker and better, too.
Hi Rick. Not a musician, but life long music lover. Ah those late romantic, early modern, squared-off Brits. Unabashedly romantic, richly flavored with modern tonality and rhythmic signatures, and yet so deep-hearted British. Who else would've flown wooden planes at the Nazis. (Came here from the Williams/Holst video. Had Holst on LP's in another life.)
And speaking of Brits, your Hungarian immediately brought me to thinking of all the richness/dissonance of the music from Lawrence of Arabia. Wasn't aware of the whole David Lean/Maurice Jarre thing. Now, thanks to you I am. I think an old "family" film underrated I liked, "Island at the Top of the World". Now I know why. Maurice Jarre wrote and conducted. Thanks Rick. BTW, IQ and the abstract music connection obviously runs in your genetic pool. :)
P.S. Long Live Albert Newman, Max Steiner, and Elmer Bernstein. Mmm, Bridge at Remaggen. And no I'm not a fossil. I was only 12 when the Republicans were at San Francisco and N Rockefeller learned even HE couldn't divorce the old lady, remarry a sweet young thing and win a Republican primary. Wait, maybe I was old when I was young. Loved dissonance even then I guess.
My ear wants to recontextualise the C superlocrian bb7 to Db harmonic minor, which makes the lingering C bass notes sound tense and unstable to me. Furthermore, the lack of a perfect fifth to fix the key centre makes it feel even more fleeting. I'm not sure if it's the "darker" of the two, but it is certainly more unsettling.
Damn, those pieces are beautiful. They recall some of Jarrett's most inspired improvisations.
Wow! The Superlocrian sounded a lot like William Bolcom. Brilliant examples and writing!
Very nice work. Such beautiful colours. I loved all the scales you showed, each with its own realm. The pieces you composed revealed many aspects of these scales, it was a nice experience.
great video as always Rick! I think that the Hungarian is darker. Superlocrian bb7 I perceive it as a "Major mode" with extra darkness. As if it get progressively dark, and Hungarian is very dark from the beginning. Cheers from Argentina and thank you
I noticed that when Rick harmonizes scales there are often a few chords per note. What's the theory there? For example in the Hungarian minor, both the Ab minor and an Ab major triads are in key - but I wouldn't think that a C major scale could contain a major and minor triad for the VI chord... Thanks for any feedback and thanks Rick for all the great videos!
Thanks a lot, Rick. You are an institute yourself. There's so much to learn. Sometimes it's daunting but eventually your videos answer so many of my questions . I already have your book. It's a great resource and a reference for any musician but I hope you will have that book available in print one day with contents indexed by page numbers etc. but I have it on my iPad , iPhone and tablet so I can read it anywhere I go . I haven't come across anything like your videos over the years on UA-cam with so much rich content and such meticulous consistency . You are doing an amazing service to the musicians free of charge . Keep up the great work! I would love to personally thank you on my next visit to the US.
These are by far my favorite scales, i think that the Hungarian minor is my favorite. I love this. :)
Personally Rick the Hungarian was darker , although I dont know enough about music theory to explain why other than possibly the minor chords and that I thought it was slower. I have much to learn ..loving your videos
By the way, I love the pieces - you've got a great flair for proportioning the pieces so that the scalar irregularities are melodically justified. Kudos!
Sounds like lizst chasing Chopin down an alleyway.
As Setzerous suggests below, what's darker depends on your own personal spectrum as you go down your emotional spiral . For me, fear is generally darker than sadness. So, although I personally thinks its a close, the Hungarian Minor has my vote. Their both beautiful for sure. And I'm feeling the urgent need to study them both now though. I want that ability to go dark more authoritatively in my playing. Sometimes the major scale modes just won't do.
Best episode ever! Going to start playing with these scales right away. Will there be a PDF with the chords of these scales and how they are related soon? By the way, I go off grid for a month and production quality is way up, thanks so much! The animated piano makes it very easy to see what is going on.
Superlocrian sounded way more scary to me because of the little brighter notes contrasting with the dark feel. Feels like being at the beginning stages of memory loss or something, or perhaps coming home and having it look unfamiliar, knowing something is wrong or out of place, sensing that an uninvited guest has entered, but not being able to pick out why you feel that way just yet.
Came here from the half hour video on modes. Rick, your composing kicks ass!!
All I can hear with the C Superlocrian is just Db harmonic minor, even when trying to enforce it with the C in the bass.
Can't agree with you there. On feel alone it feels different to harmonic minor to me. Can't put my finger on it but it has a different feeling than the relatively familiar harmonic minor. It's more listless and indecisive, more spacious, overcast, paler, whereas harmonic minor tends to sound very decisive and powerful, dark, closed. Also I whipped out the guitar and tried playing both scales over it, I kept getting pulled back to C.
I thought when we compared the scales SLbb7 was much darker but the pieces really changed that for me.. SLbb7 had a romantic,nostalgic, almost comforting sound at times! Interesting!!
And also, Tigran (Armenian pianist) has a very distinctive sound.. does anyone know predominantly his 'home' key sound?? Kind of reminded me of Hungarian
Love it! Your channel uploads on a very regular basis and every video is just packed with knowledge, summarized in a very clear way
Keep em coming Rick!
It's a really fitting title. Vader's imperial march actually utilizes a little bit of hungarian and ultralocrian in spots.
I like the superlocrian bb7 more, to me it's a little darker and it sounds a little more consonant. I really love the pieces that you've composed based on these scales, you gave me so many ideas , so thank you, you're awesome :D
The Hungarian minor was black dog depression where you could see no way out. The C superlocrian, on the other hand, had moments of peace and even humour, like sometimes when you are grieving. I try not to watch the images so as not to swayed by the images you have chosen. So interesting!
I don't know if its darker but I like the sound of the Hungarian Minor better. It has sweeter dissonances, where as the Super Locrian bb7 seemed more consonant. I really like when you would transition between the two though. That sounded really nice.
Great job, Rick. This was a wonderful video. Great lesson and amazing music. I felt like the Superlocrian was more accessible to my mind and therefore brighter to me. Cheers.
1:30 would be great if you would include MIDI files with chords for further experiments, for example how those chords sound when alternate tuning is used for instance
I enjoy the channel. Planning on studying some counterpoint then move into Modes. This stuff is crazy fun
It was interesting. The Hungarian feels oriental kinda dark but brings "just one sound".
Superlocrian really feels more "complete" to me, bringing uplifting tensions that resolve back into darkness. Beautiful sadness, sorrow and melancholy.
Rick, you should have filmed this with one lit candle on the piano for extra creep value. The music, along with the first shot of the trees, made me think of a Rod Serling's Night Gallery episode. The tune was bad-ass - loved it!