music.rst
author Oleksandr Gavenko <gavenkoa@gmail.com>
Mon, 22 Feb 2016 12:41:52 +0200
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.. -*- coding: utf-8; -*-
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.. include:: HEADER.rst
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========
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 Music.
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========
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.. contents::
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Music scale.
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============
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*Scale* is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch.
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Scale ordered by increasing pitch is an *ascending scale*, and a scale ordered
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by decreasing pitch is a *descending scale*.
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The distance between two successive notes in a scale is called a *scale step*.
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For Western music with 12 tones in octave used several definition of steps:
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 * *semitone*, *half step* is 2^(1/12)
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 * *whole step*, *whole tone*, *major second* is 2^(2/12)
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*Chromatic scale* is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone
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above or below another. On a modern piano or other equal-tempered
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instrument, all the semitones have the same size (100 cents). In other
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words, the notes of an equal-tempered chromatic scale are equally spaced.
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 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_scale
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*Diatonic scale* (or heptatonia prima) is a scale composed of seven distinct
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pitch classes: ``2–2–1–2–2–2–1``.
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 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatonic_scale
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*Minor scale*: ``2-1-2-2-1-2-2``.
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 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_scale
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Pentatonic major scale: ``1, 2, 3, 5, 6``.
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Pentatonic minor scale: ``1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7``.
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 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatonic_scale
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The eight degrees of the diatonic scale are also known by traditional names:
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 * 1st degree – Tonic (key note)
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 * 2nd degree – Supertonic
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 * 3rd degree – Mediant
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 * 4th degree – Subdominant
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 * 5th degree – Dominant
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 * 6th degree – Submediant
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 * 7th degree – Leading tone
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 * 8th degree – Tonic (Octave)
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Intervals names:
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* *Minor second* - 1 semitones.
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* *Major second* - 2 semitones.
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* *Minor third* - 3 semitones.
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* *Major third* - 4 semitones.
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* *Perfect fourth* - 5 semitones, 4:3.
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* *Perfect fifth* - 7 semitones, 3:2.
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* *Minor sixth* - 8 semitones.
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* *Major sixth* - 9 semitones.
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* *Minor seventh* - 10 semitones.
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* *Major seventh* - 11 semitones.
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The notes of a scale are numbered by their steps from the root of the scale.
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  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_%28music%29
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    Often, especially in the context of the common practice period, most or all
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    of the melody and harmony of a musical work is built using the notes of a
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    single scale, which can be conveniently represented on a staff with a
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    standard key signature.
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  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_practice_period
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    Common-practice harmony is almost always derived from diatonic scales and
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    tends to follow particular chord progressions that have withstood the test
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    of time.
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