Dear Eugene,
There are two things you can do. (1) Play the Miyako Bushi scale (D E-flat, G, A-flat, C) against the chords of a previously existing song or progression, or (2) write your own progression.
PLAYING AGAINST ANOTHER PROGRESSION.
Unless you're John Neptune, you would be wise to select a song in the same key as your RO. Then you can use the E-flat and A-flat as "blues notes" or expressive inflections of the unaltered tones of the song or progression you're using.
WRITING YOUR OWN PROGRESSION
The issue isn't which chords are theoretically correct for use with the Miyako
Bushi scale, it's whether Western "triadic" harmony will be useful for you.
In this example you can see triads projected above the C Major scale-tones: CEG,
DFA, EGB, etc....) The intervals between these chord tones are all found in the
"harmonic series" within the 1st six harmonics; therefore they sound
"harmonious" or rather non-dissonant. Also, notice that these triads are
comprised of every other note in the 7-tone scale - this scale permits these
types of triads because it is made primarily of whole steps. Now, I think it is
doubtful that triadic harmony actually evolved via the logic of taking every
other note in a scale and making a chord out of it. Triadic harmony evolved due
to our tendency to support melody using the first 6 partials in the harmonic
series . . . but that's another discussion.
Anyway - here is an experiment that you can try:
Here is the Miyako Bushi onkai scale starting on D (i.e. 1.8 shaku):
D E-flat G A-flat C.
Now superimpose every other note in that scale above each successive note,
for example:
DGC
E-flat A-flat D
G C E-flat\
A-flat D G
C E-flat A-flat
As you can see - the every other note approach gives you some weird chords due
to the non-stepwise intervals in the Miyako Bushi scale.
Now, instead, use the Tonic Major triad (1st triad in the Major scale) as a
"chord" template and transpose it relative to each note in the Miyako Bushi
scale on D.
DF#A
E-flat G B-flat
G B-nat D
A-flat C E-flat
C E G
Now you have harmonies that seem "more conventional."
Now try this:
Use a major triad as support for a melodic line comprised of the first 3 tones
of the
Miyako Bushi scale.
The Melody: D E-flat G
The Triad: (G B-nat D).....I'm choosing the G-maj. triad because 2 of the
melody tones are common to it.
So - using this method, finding melodic-cells and then finding supporting triads
that share a majority of tones, may actually give you a more flexible form of
harmonization.
Dan
www.dangutwein.com
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