Klarinet Archive - Posting 000230.txt from 2004/07

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Music theory.
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2004 10:48:23 -0400

On 6 Jul, I wrote:

> Going back to your question, I'd have thought it was more natural to ask,
> why not make A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A correspond to a major scale? with a
> semitone between C and D, and between G and A?
>
> I'm sure the answer to that must be 'just' historical, because calling the
> notes something different obviously wouldn't change anything.

The following reference:

http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/other/musint.htm

...says, in part:

"Note that while the mode beginning with C is the most natural musical mode,
the less harmonious minor mode was regarded as more serious, and hence more
suitable for church music. Since it was in that context that much of Western
musical notation developed, that is why the minor mode, rather than the major
mode, starts with A when played on the white keys of the piano."

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd tony.p@-----.org
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