Klarinet Archive - Posting 000236.txt from 2004/07

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Music Theory
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2004 14:34:32 -0400

On 6 Jul, Elgenubi@-----.com wrote:

> The following thoughts are not well researched, I admit, but maybe they
> will suggest something about why a major scale is "in some sense, natural"
> as Tony worded it.

[snip]

> If we consider a major scale as 8 notes in two groups with one step between
> them, then it is step, step, half-step, and .... step, step, half-step.
>
> Or in another way: C, D, E, F, and...... G, A, B, C.
>
> Does this repeated pattern have anything to do with the 'natural' sound??

Well, good try, but I don't think that's the reason.

By 'in some sense', I meant that if you look the matter up in a music theory
book, you find that there's a long and complicated discussion about why some
intervals are consonant to us. (It turns out roughly to be because the notes
of a consonant interval have harmonics in common.) Then, from the idea of
consonance, we build up a set of notes that are more or less consonant, and
they form a scale, which is therefore 'in that sense', natural.

The thing is though, it's impossible to deal with such a complicated subject
in a few lines of email, even if I were qualified to do it. You have to read
about it, and study it.

What small amount I know I've enjoyed finding out about. I recommend the
process to you:-)

> My second thought: What about other cultures? If one listed all the
> 'natural' sounding scales used in different cultures, what are the
> patterns, if any, that show up a lot?

It's another big subject.

Mike's paper, which I gave a URL for, has a lot of references.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd tony.p@-----.org
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... Power corrupts. Absolute power is kinda neat....

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