source file: m1429.txt
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 11:23:46 -0500 (CDT)

Subject: Re: A Just pentatonic Scale

From: Paul Hahn <Paul-Hahn@library.wustl.edu>

On Tue, 26 May 1998, Just Intonation wrote:
>                        Absolute   Successive
>    Pitch   Frequency   Ratio      Ratio
>    C4      400          1/1
>                                   6/5
>    D#4     480          6/5
>                                   9/8
>    F4      540         27/20
>                                  10/9
>    G4      600          3/2
>                                   6/5
>    A#4     720          9/5
>                                  10/9
>    C5      800          2/1

(a) Why do you call them D# and A#?  By traditional nomenclature,
especially given the ratios you've chosen, they should be Eb and Bb.

(b) Why do you use 27/20 instead of 4/3 for F?  Does it always sound
against Bb and never against C?

>    I was curious whether this scale corresponded to one in any other 
> culture or historical period, that anybody knew of. Thanks.

The major pentatonic scale (with various tones as the root) comes up in
so many different situations I don't know if there'd be any point in
naming them all.  It would be a big effort to try, although I wouldn't
be surprised if Manuel Op de Coul didn't already have them all in a list
or database somewhere.

--pH <manynote@lib-rary.wustl.edu> http://library.wustl.edu/~manynote
    O
   /\        "Churchill? Can he run a hundred balls?"
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