Much ink has been spilled on the study of symmetrical scales, producing many method books which at best offer a superficial examination of this broad subject. Regrettably, the few studies that do exist focus on the more familiar symmetrical scales such as the diminished and whole-tone scales. Olivier Messiaen, a distinguished French composer, penned The Technique of My Musical Language, which outlined his own system of symmetrical scale organization as it related to his compositional approach, and thus this system is limited in its usage for more general application.
My book is the first of its kind, to my knowledge, to institute a complete system whereby one can examine all the possible symmetrical scales, and hence serves as a companion volume to my former book, The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales. This book is intended for musicians, composers and music teachers (and their students), to stimulate their creative impulses towards the exploration of symmetrical scales, as a reference guide and/or a source of inspiration.
Although this study focuses on the application of symmetrical scales as they correspond to jazz improvisation, the concepts introduced in my book can be applied to many styles of music and realized on any instrument. I hope that this publication will act as a catalyst to your individual development as a musician. Bon Voyage!
About the Author:
Masaya Yamaguchi is not only a musician but also a conceptualist who established his own system to explore the imaginative formation of musical scales by The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales, which is a meta-contribution to music pedagogy of a high standard. Jazz Education Journal wrote, "It's worth mentioning that this book comprehensively covers all theoretical possibilities in constructing scales (July-August 2002)." The concept is revealed in many of his writings and compositions. Because of the reference value of his outstanding achievements, Marquis Who's Who has selected his biographical profile for inclusion in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World and Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders.
