Exotic scales (Neapolitan, Middle Eastern, Hungarian, whole tone) extend the palette beyond major/minor

Beyond the major, minor, and seven diatonic modes, composers use exotic scales drawn from world music or invented for effect. Key families: Neapolitan modes — any scale with a flat second degree, adding an Eastern flavor. Middle Eastern scales (Algerian, Egyptian, Persian, Syrian) — use characteristic interval inflections. Eastern European (Hungarian minor/major, Gypsy) — use augmented seconds for distinctiveness. Whole-tone scale — all six notes are whole tones; every chord is augmented; associated with Debussy and spatial/dreamlike atmospheres.

Examples

Hungarian minor (= harmonic minor with #4): A B C D# E F G# A. Whole tone: C D E F# G# A# C (all augmented triads). Jazz blues scale adds Eb, F#, Bb to pentatonic.

Assessment

What distinguishes the Hungarian minor from the harmonic minor scale? Build a whole-tone scale from C. List the augmented triads it contains.