- From: Sean McGrath <sean.mcgrath@p...>
- To: Michael Sokolov <msokolov@s...>
- Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 17:29:52 -0600
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On 11/19/2013 04:56 PM, Michael Sokolov
wrote:
The idea these signatures are unnecessary is pure 21st century
thinking. When the music notation was invented, *key signatures
were not equivalent*.
True, C# != Db thanks to the physics of the harmonics going on
underneath. When the western world adopted Bach's model...that would
have been a perfect time for a syntax re-factoring. But it never
happened :-/ :-)
Sure its a hack, but it is a very useful one if you want to modulate
a composition or play in a range of keys without constantly
re-tuning. Compare computing. The notion that an electric signal is,
say either +5 volts (a "1") or 0v (a "0") is never as clean as we
pretend it is. Its all analog underneath:-) (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_integrity).
But it sure is convenient simplification.
My favourite example of how music syntax gets unnecessarily
complicated to the detriment of cognition, is the aura of gravitas
and mystery around how the B-C interval and the E-F interval as
"special". They are only special in the C-major/piano biased
notation. The semi-tone difference between B and C is in no way
conceptually different than the semi-tone difference between, say, G
and G#. So why does one have a "#" and the other not? G# is a
completely different note from G. One semitone up. It is not "G with
a twist". Same for B, C.
Humming a song in Bflat major is no more complicated than humming in
C major. So why does one have more complicated notation than the
other? Accidents of history, combined with physical aspects of
different types of instruments.
The sad result is that many musicians - especially keen amateurs -
end up feeling as if some keys, on the circle of fifths say, are
more "advanced" than others. Or that a key signature with lots of
sharps/flats is more complicated somehow....
I think its especially unfortunate for chordal string players where
barre chords and capos make hopping between lots of keys a snap -
once players get over the notion that playing in, say, Bflat, is
"advanced" compares to playing in G.
I sometimes wonder how may budding musicians give up on music theory
because it looks complicated when in fact, its really not, once you
get past the hurdles that the notation puts in front of you.
And don't get me started on the Greek names for modes which have
befuddled generations of string players especially, who when they
finally get it, invariably think "Wow! That's all there is to it?
Its that simple? But it *sounded so complicated*."
It was the notation that sounded complicated.
:-)
Sean
--
Sean McGrath
CTO
Propylon
US Tel: +1 775 2976310
e-mail:sean.mcgrath@p... web:www.propylon.com
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