Construction
Step pattern (W = whole step, H = half step, A = augmented second, 3 half steps): H-A-W-H-H-A-H.
Formula (intervals from the root): 1-b2-3-#4-5-b6-7.
Composite II is a seven-note synthetic scale (one constructed by design rather than derived from a common parent) with two augmented seconds -- one between b2 and 3, another between b6 and 7. It pairs a b2 with a natural 3, giving it a major-third character despite a root area that recalls Phrygian (a minor mode with a distinctive b2). This scale belongs to the exotic/synthetic family.
Origin and Relationships
- Composite II is a synthetic scale -- not a mode of major, melodic minor, or harmonic minor. Its structure draws from other scales that feature augmented seconds, combining their most distinctive intervals into a single seven-note set.
- Compare to Phrygian Dominant (1-b2-3-4-5-b6-b7): both share b2 and natural 3, but Composite II has #4 and natural 7 where Phrygian Dominant has natural 4 and b7. The raised 4th and raised 7th make Composite II more dissonant and tense.
- Also compare to Double Harmonic Major (1-b2-3-4-5-b6-7, not in this collection): both share b2, natural 3, b6, and natural 7, but Composite II has #4 where Double Harmonic Major has natural 4. That single #4 adds a tritone from the root and further destabilizes the scale.
Harmonic Context
- Major triad with tension: The scale contains no b7, so a standard dominant seventh chord (1-3-5-b7) is absent. However, 1-3-5 forms a major triad, and the b2, #4, and b6 surround that major core with layers of exotic dissonance.
- Drone context: Composite II does not follow standard chord progression logic. It works best over a sustained root note (a drone), where the augmented seconds and chromatic tensions can be explored as color rather than function.
- Augmented-second character: The two augmented-second gaps (b2 to 3 and b6 to 7) give phrases the same exotic flavor found in harmonic minor and Phrygian Dominant, but intensified. Where those scales each contain one augmented second, Composite II has two -- producing the kind of tight, dramatic leaps heard in Middle Eastern and Eastern European melodic traditions.
Characteristic Tones
The intervals that give Composite II its distinctive sound:
- #4 (augmented fourth): The degree that separates Composite II from its nearest neighbor, Phrygian Dominant (which has natural 4). It creates a tritone against the root, adding instability to an already tense scale.
- b2 (minor second): Combined with the natural 3, the b2-to-3 augmented second is one of the scale's two signature intervals. It produces the tense, close-interval approach to the root area that Phrygian Dominant also shares.
- 7 (major seventh): The b6-to-7 augmented second mirrors the b2-to-3 gap, creating near-symmetry in the scale's outer intervals. The major 7th also acts as a leading tone pulling toward the octave.
Melodic Applications
Lean into the two augmented seconds -- they are the scale's most recognizable melodic intervals. The b2-to-3 motion works as an approach to the major triad, and the b6-to-7 motion resolves upward to the octave. Over a drone, alternate between these two augmented-second regions to reveal the scale's near-symmetrical architecture. Use Composite II for exotic, atmospheric passages rather than chord progressions.
Practice Seeds
Two augmented seconds. Play b2-3 and then b6-7 in sequence. Hear the two augmented-second gaps that define the scale -- these 3-half-step leaps are its most distinctive sound.
Compare to Phrygian Dominant. Play both scales from the same root. Hear how the #4 and natural 7 in Composite II increase the tension beyond Phrygian Dominant's already exotic sound -- two shared tones, two critical differences.
Drone with target tones. Sustain a root note and improvise using the scale, but start every other phrase on the #4 or b2. Notice how these two degrees pull the ear away from the major triad center -- learning to land on tension and resolve back to 1-3-5 is the skill this scale teaches.
Major triad anchor. Arpeggiate 1-3-5, then add the b2, #4, b6, and 7 around it. Hear how a stable major triad sits at the center of extreme chromatic tension -- the contrast is what makes the scale compelling.