Definitions of tuning terms
© 1998 by Joseph L. Monzo
All definitions by Joe Monzo unless otherwise cited
A scale with seven tones per octave is called a heptatonic scale.
[from John Chalmers, Divisions of the Tetrachord]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The most typical examples of heptatonic scales are the usual diatonic major and minor scales, composed of 5 Large (L) steps and 2 small (s) steps (which in this case are synonymous with tone and semitone, respectively. The minor scales are given in their "natural minor" form:
L s L L s L L L L s L L L s A#-minor C#-major A# B# C# D# E# F# G# C# D# E# F# G# A# B# D#-minor F#-major D# E# F# G# A# B C# F# G# A# B C# D# E# G#-minor B-major G# A# B C# D# E F# B C# D# E F# G# A# C#-minor E-major C# D# E F# G# A B E F# G# A B C# D# F#-minor A-major F# G# A B C# D E A B C# D E F# G# B-minor D-major B C# D E F# G A D E F# G A B C# E-minor G-major E F# G A B C D G A B C D E F# A-minor C-major A B C D E F G C D E F G A B D-minor F-major D E F G A Bb C F G A Bb C D E G-minor Bb-major G A Bb CD Eb F Bb C D Eb F G A C-minor Eb-major C D Eb F G Ab Bb F G Ab Bb C D Eb F-minor Ab-major F G Ab Bb C Db Eb Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Bb-minor Db-major Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Eb-minor Gb-major Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Ab-minor Cb-major Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb
These scales may be tuned in a wide
variety of different tunings, which is one fact
which helps to account for their great popularity.
These diatonic scales are recorded unambiguously in ancient Greek music-theory texts, almost always in Pythagorean tuning.
As the diatonic scales developed in medieval Europe they were expected to be tuned according to one of the various members of the meantone family of temperaments.
Today the diatonic scales are most commonly presented in 12edo. Note that in 12edo, 3 pairs of keys in each mode (major and minor) are enharmonically equivalent: Bb/A#, Eb/D#, and Ab/G# minor, and Db/C#, Gb/F#, and Cb/B major.
There are probably thousands of other heptatonic scales,
7 being one of the most important numbers of the Miller Limit.
[from Joe Monzo, JustMusic: A New Harmony]
updated:
(to download a zip file of the entire Dictionary, click here) |
|
I welcome
feedback about this webpage:
![]() ![]() ![]() |