General Information on Playing Atzarin Scales

Isomorphic scale patterns

As Atzarin layouts are fully chromatic and neutral in both directions of the bellows, scale patterns, like chord shapes, are isomorphic, which means they are identical in or similar shape, form or structure. On a three row instrument, one and the same unchanging scale pattern is used for each kind of scale in 8 different musical keys!

Bellows' direction

Each kind of scale can be played completely on the push or completely on the draw of the bellows, or changing the bellows' direction as many times as you want during the scale! However, the scale pattern of any given key is different in each direction of the bellows.

Scale Pattern Types

The bisonoric nature of the layout means that two different kinds of scale pattern are used for each musical key. Scale patterns vary depending on which row the tonic note, the first note of the scale, is in. On a three row layout this gives rise to a total of three different scale patterns for each kind of scale.