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Evil Kramer's Theory Corner This afternoon, while sampling a selection of twenty-five year aged port and nibbling on an imported Gorgonzola, I was reminded of the first time I happened upon the so-called "melodic" minor scale. It is spicy like habanera yet fruity like a merlot. One could think of it as a "vanilla" minor scale with a raised 6th and 7th or perhaps even a major scale with a flatted third. This, of course, differs from the more traditional melodic minor scale, as one would retain the ascending alteration in the descending pattern. This is akin to serving a 1974 chardonnay with a veal in a dark, lightly sweetened, plum sauce: while some would find this combination to be ghastly and returnable, other, more adventurous palette aficionados might find such a culinary faux pas to be refreshing and tangy. One could conceivably find this relative minor scale played over the root of the major key tonal center on par with a freshly baked chocolate éclair displayed on a bed of Valencia orange slices and mint sprigs. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bottle of port to finish and my companion has just threatened my remaining rook. |
