RE: And I left out...

Daniel,

I don't know exactly what you're getting at with the hexachords. Everything
you're saying may be exactly right, but I don't think it addresses the
original point which is to explain the diatonic and pentatonic scales'
success as melodic frameworks. You are quite right that "modal descriptions
are most useful in describing local melodic figures," but it remains to
derive the likely structure of these melodic figures. When they are not
restricted to a small compass, pentatonic and diatonic scales pop up again
and again. Deriving these scales from the harmonies they produce seems
logically and historically backwards, but is prevalent among theorists. You
have to reinvent the wheel when someone keeps throwing away the blueprints!

-Paul


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Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 11:32:02 -0800
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