SVP Notes Index
E, THE POINT OF BALANCE
Text: Subject: Re: [SVPForum] E, the point of balance
Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 16:04:09 +0000
From: "luigi.di-martino"
Reply-To: SVPForum@yahoogroups.com
To:
"The final charachtor of notes and chords is determined by the amount of force which they have acquired from the way in which they have been derived, and from their position in the system. And no matter where these notes may be afterwards placed, like chemical elements, they never lose their original forces and tendencies. What Tyndel says of the inorganic chemical elements of the brain is true of the inorganic nores of music, "they are all dead as grains of shot". It is the organic state which gives notes and chords their gravities and levities, and these two tendencies, the one upwards and the other downward, constitute the vital principle of music. It is true that the mathematical operation required to give birth and life to music, and that the mathematical system gives the knowledge of cause down to the law of gravitation, yet the artistic effects are fully realised from the Tempered system deriving its organic harmony from this vital principle of music. The centrifugal tendencies of the notes of the dominant chord, and the gravitating tendencies of the notes of the subdominant chord, are too strong to be at all disturbed by the system being tempered. The enormous power of these chords corrects the effect which might otherwise arise from tempering, as the enormous power of the sun corrects perturbations of the planets." Ramsay
It seems that the Tonic triad possesses a balance of gravity and levity. The subdominat in this system is the centripetal chord, whilst the dominant is the centrifugal. The other remaining triads of the diatonic scale are again a mixture of these two forces, one predominating the other. As the gravities and levities move to the centre they become less dominant.
F A C = subdominat
F is the note with the most gravity, followed by A and then C. We could call this g1 g2 and g3.
G B D = dominant . D (L1) has the most levity followed by B (L2)and G (L3)
The note E can remain Nuetral. So the remaining triads will be:
D F A = L1 g1 g2
E G B = N L3 L2
A C E = g2 g3 N
B D F = L2 L1 g1
Because Ramsey states that these notes keep their tendcencies regardless of their place within the harmony it makes one wonder at the tactless compositions that are forever invading the radio frequencies! They talk about mind controlling sounds, well show me a sound that hasn't got this potential. It's frightening. The quote from ramsey above shows how the Great Composers discovered and not invented the cadences which exist within music, the Perfect cadence, for example. In the Key of C this cadence begins by playing the dominant and then the Tonic - G to C. From Levity to balance, as the sun shines it's light and gives life.
See Also:
Source:
Top of Page |
Master Index |
Home | What's
New | FAQ
| Catalog