Comprehensive Scale Catalog: Two-Tone Scales in Equal Temperament

This page is part of Flutopedia's Comprehensive Scale Catalog ... a listing of many (many) scales that can be played on Native American flutes.

This page shows only scales with two tones per octave and using 12-tone Equal Temperament.

The root note of each scale is shown in blue, such as .

Minor Second Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

Scale steps in semitones: 1–11

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–1–12
  intervals: 1–m2–8
  Root, Minor 2nd, Octave

Pitches starting from C:
  C C♯ c
  C D♭ c

Pitch Class Set: {0,1}

Pitch Class Mapping: 3 (Hex 003, Binary 000000000011)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 3

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Major Seventh Ditonic

The name I use for this scale comes from: Clint's Invented Name

Vietnamese Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

       or     

Scale steps in semitones: 2–10

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–2–12
  intervals: 1–2–8
  Root, Major 2nd, Octave

Pitches starting from C: C D c

Pitch Class Set: {0,2}

Pitch Class Mapping: 5 (Hex 005, Binary 000000000101)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 5

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Warao Ditonic and Warao Ditonic

The name I use for this scale comes from: Scala

Scala name: Vietnamese ditonic

Cheremis Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or       or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

Scale steps in semitones: 3–9

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–3–12
  intervals: 1–m3–8
  Root, Minor 3rd, Octave

Pitches starting from C:
  C D♯ c
  C E♭ c

Pitch Class Set: {0,3}

Pitch Class Mapping: 9 (Hex 009, Binary 000000001001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 9

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Major Sixth Ditonic

The name I use for this scale comes from: [Nettl 1960]

» Described in Cheremis Musical Styles¹ ([Nettl 1960]), page 10

¹Description of ditonic songs: Ditonic songs are more common throughout the world. … Among the Cheremis … the interval between the two tones of a Cheremis ditonic song is usually a minor third. This interval is common also in ditonic songs elsewhere, so that the Cheremis ditonic songs may be considered perhaps as a part of an archaic layer, with almost worldwide distributionn, of some of the simplest song types in existance today.

Major Third Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or       or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

       or     

Scale steps in semitones: 4–8

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–4–12
  intervals: 1–3–8
  Root, Major 3rd, Octave

Pitches starting from C: C E c

Pitch Class Set: {0,4}

Pitch Class Mapping: 17 (Hex 011, Binary 000000010001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 17

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Minor Sixth Ditonic

The name I use for this scale comes from: Clint's Invented Name

Honchoshi

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or       or      

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

Scale steps in semitones: 5–7

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–5–12
  intervals: 1–4–8
  Root, Perfect 4th, Octave

Pitches starting from C: C F c

Pitch Class Set: {0,5}

Pitch Class Mapping: 33 (Hex 021, Binary 000000100001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 33

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Niagari

The name I use for this scale comes from: Scala

Scala name: Honchoshi: Japan

Piano Encyclopedia name: Honchoshi 2 [Japanese]

Tritone Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

       or     

Scale steps in semitones: 6–6

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–6–12
  intervals: 1–d5–8
  Root, Diminished 5th, Octave

Pitches starting from C:
  C F♯ c
  C G♭ c

Pitch Class Set: {0,6}

Pitch Class Mapping: 65 (Hex 041, Binary 000001000001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 65

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Tritone Ditonic and Chromatic

The name I use for this scale comes from: Clint's Invented Name

Niagari

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or      

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

       or     

Scale steps in semitones: 7–5

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–7–12
  intervals: 1–5–8
  Root, Perfect 5th, Octave

Pitches starting from C: C G c

Pitch Class Set: {0,7}

Pitch Class Mapping: 129 (Hex 081, Binary 000010000001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 129

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

Corresponding Chord: Power Chord

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Honchoshi

The name I use for this scale comes from: Scala

Scala name: Niagari: Japan

Wikipedia page related to this scale:

• Power Chord ⇒ Power chord

Piano Encyclopedia name: Niagari 2 [Japanese]

Minor Sixth Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

       or     

Scale steps in semitones: 8–4

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–8–12
  intervals: 1–m6–8
  Root, Minor 6th, Octave

Pitches starting from C:
  C G♯ c
  C A♭ c

Pitch Class Set: {0,8}

Pitch Class Mapping: 257 (Hex 101, Binary 000100000001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 257

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Major Third Ditonic

The name I use for this scale comes from: Clint's Invented Name

Major Sixth Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or        or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

       or     

Scale steps in semitones: 9–3

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–9–12
  intervals: 1–6–8
  Root, Major 6th, Octave

Pitches starting from C: C A c

Pitch Class Set: {0,9}

Pitch Class Mapping: 513 (Hex 201, Binary 001000000001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 513

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Cheremis Ditonic

The name I use for this scale comes from: Clint's Invented Name

Warao Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

       or      

Scale steps in semitones: 10–2

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–10–12
  intervals: 1–m7–8
  Root, Minor 7th, Octave

Pitches starting from C:
  C A♯ c
  C B♭ c

Pitch Class Set: {0,10}

Pitch Class Mapping: 1025 (Hex 401, Binary 010000000001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 1025

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Vietnamese Ditonic and Vietnamese Ditonic

The name I use for this scale comes from: Scala

Scala name: Warao ditonic: South America

Piano Encyclopedia name: Warao ditonic [Native South American]

Major Seventh Ditonic

Fingerings on most contemporary six-hole pentatonic minor Native American flutes:

       or       or     

Fingerings on Anasazi-7 tuned Native American flutes:

Scale steps in semitones: 11–1

Scale degrees:
  in semitones: 0–11–12
  intervals: 1–7–8
  Root, Major 7th, Octave

Pitches starting from C: C B c

Pitch Class Set: {0,11}

Pitch Class Mapping: 2049 (Hex 801, Binary 100000000001)

A Study of Scales (Ian Ring) Index: 2049

Deep scale: No

Coherent scale: No

This scale is a mode (rotation) of these other scales:
  Mode 2 of: Minor Second Ditonic

The name I use for this scale comes from: Clint's Invented Name