Acoustic scale

Acoustic scale
Modes	I,II,III,IV,V,VI,VII
Component pitches
	C,D,E,F♯,G,A,B♭
Qualities
Number ofpitch classes	7
Forte number	7-34
Complement	5-34

Inmusic,theacoustic scale,overtone scale,^[1]Lydian dominant scale(Lydian♭7 scale),^[2]^[3]or theMixolydian♯4 scaleis aseven-note synthetic scale.It is the fourth mode of theascending melodic minor scale.^[4]^[5]

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 7/4 c4^\markup { Acoustic scale on C } d e fis g a bes c } }$

This differs from themajor scalein having anaugmented fourthand aminor seventhscale degree. The term "acoustic scale" is sometimes used to describe a particularmodeof this seven-note collection (e.g. the specific ordering C–D–E–F♯–G–A–B♭) and is sometimes used to describe thecollectionas a whole (e.g. including orderings such as E–F♯–G–A–B♭–C–D).

History

In traditional music, the overtone scale persists in the music of peoples of SouthSiberia,especially inTuvan music.Overtone singingand the sound of theJew's harpare naturally rich in overtones, but melodies performed on theigil(bowed instrument distantly related to the violin) and plucked string instruments such as thedoshpuluuror thechanzyalso often follow the overtone scale, sometimes with pentatonic slices.^{[clarification needed]}

The acoustic scale appears sporadically in nineteenth-century music, notably in the works ofFranz LisztandClaude Debussy.^[6]It also plays a role in the music of twentieth-century composers, includingIgor Stravinsky,Béla Bartók,^[7]andKarol Szymanowski,who was influenced by folk music from the Polish Highlands.^[8]The acoustic scale is also remarkably common in the music ofNordeste,the northeastern region of Brazil^[9](seeEscala nordestina). It plays a major role injazz harmony,where it is used to accompanydominant seventhchords starting on the first scale degree. The term "acoustic scale" was coined byErnő Lendvaiin his analysis of the music ofBéla Bartók.^[10]

Construction

The blue notes (B^♭and F,^[a]7 and 11) are noticeably out of tune.^[11]See:harmonic seventhandeleventh harmonic.

The name "acoustic scale" refers to the resemblance to the eighth through 14th partials in theharmonic series(Play^ⓘ). Starting onC₁,the harmonic series isC₁,C₂,G₂,C₃,E₃,G₃,B^♭
₃^*,C₄,D₄,E₄,F
₄^*,G₄,A^♭
₄^*,B^♭
₄^*,B₄,C₅... The bold notes spell out an acoustic scale onC₄.However, in the harmonic series, the notes marked with asterisks are out of tune:F
₄^*(Play^ⓘ) is almost exactlyhalfwaybetweenF^♮
₄andF^♯
₄,A^♭
₄^*(Play^ⓘ) is closer toA^♭
₄thanA^♮
₄,andB^♭
₄^*is too flat to be generally accepted as part of anequal tempered scale.

The acoustic scale may be formed from a major triad (C E G) with an addedminor seventhandraised fourth(B^♭and F♯,drawn from the overtone series) andmajor secondandmajor sixth(D and A).^[10]Lendvai described the use of the "acoustic system" accompanying the acoustic scale in Bartók's music, since it entails structural characteristics such as symmetrically balanced sections, especiallyperiods,in contrast with his use of thegolden ratio.In Bartók's music, the acoustic scale is characterized in various ways includingdiatonic,dynamic,tense,andtriple-or other odd-metered, as opposed to the music structured by theFibonacci sequencewhich ischromatic,static, relaxed, andduple-metered.^[10]

Another way to regard the acoustic scale is that it occurs as a mode of themelodic minor scalestarting on the fourth degree. Hence, the acoustic scale starting on D is D, E, F^♯,G^♯,A, B, C, D, containing the familiar sharpened F and G of A melodic minor. The F♯turns the D minortetrachordinto a major tetrachord, and the G♯turns it Lydian. Therefore, many occurrences of this scale injazzmay be regarded as unsurprising; it shows up in modal improvisation and composition over harmonic progressions which invite use of the melodic minor.

Notes

^ These may be approximated by the nearestquartertoneat Aor Bfor theharmonic seventh,but since⁠7/4⁠is 968.826cents,it is 18 cents or almost a wholecommasharp from the quartertone. Theeleventh harmonicFor Gis nearly spot-on the quartertone at 551.318 cents.

References

^Persichetti, Vincent(1961).Twentieth-Century Harmony.New York City:W. W. Norton & Company.p.44.ISBN 978-0-393-09539-5.OCLC 318260658.
^Berle, Arnie (1997)."The Lydian Dominant Scale".Mel Bay's Encyclopedia of Scales, Modes and Melodic Patterns: A Unique Approach to Developing Ear, Mind and Finger Coordination.Pacific, Missouri:Mel Bay Publications.p. 55.ISBN 978-0-7866-1791-3.OCLC 48534968.
^Fewell, Garrison (February 1998). "Sessions: Lydian-Dominant Strategies".Guitar Player.32(2): 154–155.
^Lendvai, Ernő(1971).Béla Bartók: An Analysis of his Music.introd. byAlan Bush.London: Kahn & Averill. p. 27.ISBN 0-900707-04-6.OCLC 240301.Cited in Wilson, Paul (1992).
^Bárdos, Lajoscited in Kárpáti 1994, 171^{[incomplete short citation]}
^Tymoczko, Dmitri(2004). "Scale Networks in Debussy."Journal of Music Theory48.2: 215–292.
^Tymoczko, Dmitri(2003). "Stravinsky and the Octatonic: A reconsideration."Music Theory Spectrum25.1: 185–202.
^"Classical CD Reviews: Folk music, mythology inspire Polish composer's violin pieces",The Dallas Morning News,October 13, 2007
^Adolfo, Antonio (1997).Composição, Uma discussão sobre o processo criativo brasileiro.Rio de Janeiro: Lumiar Editora. p. 23.ISBN 978-85-7407-369-9.
^^a ^b ^cWilson, Paul(1992).The Music of Béla Bartók,p. 7.ISBN 0-300-05111-5.
^Miller, Leta E., ed. (1988).Lou Harrison: Selected keyboard and chamber music, 1937–1994.p. $xliii$ .ISBN 978-0-89579-414-7.

External links

The Acoustic scale (Lydian dominant), all keys, for ocarina

[11] These may be approximated by the nearestquartertoneat Aor Bfor theharmonic seventh,but since⁠7/4⁠is 968.826cents,it is 18 cents or almost a wholecommasharp from the quartertone. Theeleventh harmonicFor Gis nearly spot-on the quartertone at 551.318 cents.

[1] Persichetti, Vincent(1961).Twentieth-Century Harmony.New York City:W. W. Norton & Company.p.44.ISBN 978-0-393-09539-5.OCLC 318260658.

[2] Berle, Arnie (1997)."The Lydian Dominant Scale".Mel Bay's Encyclopedia of Scales, Modes and Melodic Patterns: A Unique Approach to Developing Ear, Mind and Finger Coordination.Pacific, Missouri:Mel Bay Publications.p. 55.ISBN 978-0-7866-1791-3.OCLC 48534968.

[3] Fewell, Garrison (February 1998). "Sessions: Lydian-Dominant Strategies".Guitar Player.32(2): 154–155.

[4] Lendvai, Ernő(1971).Béla Bartók: An Analysis of his Music.introd. byAlan Bush.London: Kahn & Averill. p. 27.ISBN 0-900707-04-6.OCLC 240301.Cited in Wilson, Paul (1992).

[5] Bárdos, Lajoscited in Kárpáti 1994, 171^{[incomplete short citation]}

[6] Tymoczko, Dmitri(2004). "Scale Networks in Debussy."Journal of Music Theory48.2: 215–292.

[7] Tymoczko, Dmitri(2003). "Stravinsky and the Octatonic: A reconsideration."Music Theory Spectrum25.1: 185–202.

[8] "Classical CD Reviews: Folk music, mythology inspire Polish composer's violin pieces",The Dallas Morning News,October 13, 2007

[9] Adolfo, Antonio (1997).Composição, Uma discussão sobre o processo criativo brasileiro.Rio de Janeiro: Lumiar Editora. p. 23.ISBN 978-85-7407-369-9.

[Wilson-10] Wilson, Paul(1992).The Music of Béla Bartók,p. 7.ISBN 0-300-05111-5.

[12] Miller, Leta E., ed. (1988).Lou Harrison: Selected keyboard and chamber music, 1937–1994.p. $xliii$ .ISBN 978-0-89579-414-7.

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