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From: haitex@pnet01.cts.com (Wade Bickel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.atari.st,rec.music.makers,rec.music.synth,rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Sonic Holography.
Message-ID: <2151@crash.cts.com>
Date: 16 Dec 87 10:58:57 GMT
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Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon, CA
Lines: 36


        As I remember, the original question asked for an endlessly rising
     tone.  These various plays on cyclic nature of the western scale achieve
     a similar effect, but are not quite what was asked for.

        Western music is based upon a 12 tone system.  These tones are sub-
     divided into sets of 7 notes which form scales (usually 7 notes).  These
     subsets form alternative contours.  When progressing through the keys
     rather than moving in one tone steps, the 5th member of a given scale
     forms the next most obvious key.  By doing so the scale being changed
     to will contain only one note not found in its predicessor, which ex-
     plains why it is the next obvious key.   This is layed out clearly
     for the ear in J.S. Bach's studies of the well tempered scale.

        Taking this into account, it should be possible to derive any
     number of always rising progressions.  Of course doing so in an 
     artfull manner requires skill, insight, and talent.  What I find
     fasinating about Bach's work is the precise control of multiple
     modes of the keys.

        Interestingly enough, the well tempered scale is not true to
     the ear.  IE:  if I tune my guitar by ear to a given major scale,
     it will sound fine in that scale, and its cousins, but degrades
     with distance from the original root.  Clearly the well tempered
     clavier (spelling?) is full of consistent distortions to make the
     circle of 5ths fit.  At least I think this is so.  Any knowlegable
     theory experts care to enlighten me?

                                                Thanks,

                                                        Wade.


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