The Major Scale

The notes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, clustered at the center of the lattice, constitute a major scale. This tuning uses the smallest ratios (the ones with the lowest numbers) available for each position in the scale. It goes back at least to Ptolemy in the 100’s AD.

I find it visually beautiful. It’s like a cat’s cradle.

Here it is again, with a drone on the tonic, to show how the notes resonate with the drone. Each one has its own flavor, its own harmonic character.

Notice how the melody never moves from a note to the note next door. It always moves two grid segments. This is a first look at the difference between harmonic space and melodic space.

Melodies “like” to move up and down on a linear scale. They want to go to a nearby note when they move — that is, near by in pitch. We hear, and sing, small movements in pitch better than we hear leaps.

Harmonies “like” to go to nearby notes too, but harmonic space is different than linear, melodic space. The 1 and the 5 are harmonic neighbors. In fact, they are as close together as notes can be, harmonically, without being the same note — a single factor of three. But they are far apart melodically — the 5 is almost at the midpoint of the scale.

1 and 2 are melodic neighbors, It’s easy to for the voice to move from one to the other. But they are far apart harmonically — two factors of three. A small move in pitch can produce a large harmonic jump.

Arranging a melody and chord progression involves interweaving the notes so they work in both spaces. The melody will tend to move up and down by small melodic steps, close together on the scale. The chords will tend to move by small harmonic steps, close together on the lattice.

It’s a bit like designing a crossword puzzle, working “up” against “down” until it all fits. The lattice is a wonderful tool for visualizing this dance.

Next: Reciprocal Thirds