[MMM] Re: meantone pattern of keys default

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "X. J. Scott" <xjscott@e...> wrote:
> Hi Paul,
>
> > the "pattern" is usually "1 up, 1 down" starting from D as
*center*:
>
> Thanks, OK, that's interesting. So it seems like 300 years
> ago, D was considered the simple base key rather than C as is
> nowadays?

no. 300 years ago we already had the major/minor system, so C was
considered the base key or base tonic, at least for major . . . going
back, many more modes were in use, so there wasn't really a base
*tonic* in the same way, but go back far enough, and you'll find A-a
(which of course makes sense seeing how A is actually the first
letter) . . .

> > not the center -- however, when specifying a 12-tone tuning, it is
> > *extremely* customary to go from C to c.
>
> Meaning nowadays, but not necessarily in the past, where it
> was D then, right?

it was A-a for a while, but i've never heard of anyone going D-d in
specifying a tuning, or even a keyboard compass.