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What are your favourite evil/dark/aggressive chords/scales?

[Mac Atom]

he he he, Dan Loaded is going to be a tad annoyed that I got in first with this one as it's a "Dan Special" but I've been messing around with it a lot recently and it is REALLY evil in the right situation.

Its a normal Phrygian Mode (1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8 ) but with a MAJOR third, so it becomes (1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 8 )

This gives you a big gap (tone and a half) between steps 2 and 3 and gives a really strange sound... very eastern and demonic sounding - none more metal!!!

[Graham]

I love evil and dark sounding things from listening to too much King Crimson. I have no idea about names of things but here's some of my favourite weird/evil/dark sounding things

----------
----------
----------
---6------
---5------
---3------

I like the sound of this played as a chord or as individual notes.

----------
----------
----------
---5-----
---4-----
---3-----

Same as above, I like it played as a chord or individually.

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---3---1-
---3---1-
-----------
-----------
---0---0--

The above chords are used in the King Crimson song Red

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----6-----
----6-----
----5----
---------
---------

I think thats an Augmented Chord

-------------------------------------9--11------------------------
-----------------------------8--10--------------------------------
----------------------6--8-----------------------------------------
----------------5--7-----------------------------------------------
---------4--6------------------------------------------------------
--3--5--------------------------------------------------------------

Some sort of scale, not sure what, sounds like something Robert Fripp might play, same with..

---------------------------------------1--3----------------------
--------------------------------2--4-----------------------------
-------------------------4--6--------------------------------------
------------------5--7---------------------------------------------
-----------6--8----------------------------------------------------
----7--9------------------------------------------------------------

Which is the same as the other scale but going the other way.

[Dan Atom]

Mac you bastard!

Yes, indeed my favourite scale is the one mac mentioned. The Phrygian Dominant (or spanish phrygian as it is sometimes known)

It is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale and sounds awesome!

Also the locrian mode, the 7th mode of the major scale.

Its the same as the minor scale but with a flat 2nd and a flat 5th.

And THEN, the japanese Iwato scale which is a five note version of the locrian (it doesn't have a 3rd or a 6th)

Sounds awesome!

Rock on.

[Graham]

Originally posted by Philip Johnston
The Majesty of King Crimson...

The track 'Starless' from the 1974 'Red' album being one of my all time fav's!!

Yes, its great! I love the way it goes from the sort of gentle sounding 1st section to the evil sounding micro tone guitar riff.

[Graham]

Originally posted by Philip Johnston
That slow menacing riff was actually written by the drummer Bill Bruford!

Have you bought the In the Court of King Crimson book? It's a fantastic/informative account of the band etc. Ian McDonald(from the original band) invited me to the book launch in late 2001 in London. I also got to meet other various ex members of KC at the launch.

No, I never realised there was a book out, I must track it down! All I seem to be able to find King Crimson wise(in shops, I've not really looked online) is CD's. Who did you meet at the launch?