2006-08-22 06:58:59 · 9 answers · asked by Mr C 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
i thought that technically it has 8 notes cos you have to count both key notes.
2006-08-22 07:05:36 · answer #1 · answered by chatterboxrools 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Strictly speaking, the scale or octave has 12 notes or tones (including sharps/flats).
It appears that there is no definite mathematical reason for this. However two notes of the same letter, an octave apart, are directly related by a scale change in frequency
2006-08-22 14:11:30 · answer #2 · answered by Michael 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not every scale contains 8 notes. chromatic scales have 12, pentatonics have 5.
but anyway, the major diatonic scale (do re mi fa sol la ti do) consist of 8 notes, that are actually two tetrachords, The tetrachord is a concept of music theory borrowed from ancient Greece. The name means four strings, and refers to the Greek lyre.
Traditionally, the lowest and highest strings of the lyre were tuned at the interval of a perfect fourth, or a just ratio of 3:4. The two middle strings were tuned to various divisions of this set interval to create different musical modes.
Modern music theory makes use of the octave as the basic unit for determining tuning: ancient Greeks used the tetrachord for this purpose.
The octave was recognised by ancient Greece as a fundamental interval, but it was seen as being built from two tetrachords and a whole tone. Ancient Greek music always seems to have used two identical tetrachords to build the octave.
that's how you get a major diatonic scale (i.e C Maj scale) having intervals: (C) Whole step (D) Whole step (E) Half step (F) (that's one tetrachord) a whole step interval in the middle and then another tetrachord starting from (G) Whole step (A) whole step (B) half step (C).
I know it's quite confusing... but I hope it helps a bit...
2006-08-22 14:39:22 · answer #3 · answered by slashchords 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I guess I've never though about it before but if you think about music in general, there are 7 notes, A-G. So if yo're playing a scale, say C, the easiest, it's C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C (C repeats either one octave higher or lower so 7 notes). This would be a lot easier to explain with a keyboard!
2006-08-22 14:06:53 · answer #4 · answered by LizardKing00 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who says they have only 7 notes - look up chromatic and pentatonic scales, music is a strange thing really!
2006-08-22 14:11:49 · answer #5 · answered by randombushmonkey 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because Mozart Said So....?
No Idea
2006-08-26 01:34:06 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Who gives a **** to me it's only rock n roll!
2006-08-24 07:13:31 · answer #7 · answered by gary b 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I thought they had eight...maybe I am just thick.
2006-08-22 14:06:21 · answer #8 · answered by keefer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no idea
2006-08-22 14:30:19 · answer #9 · answered by SammyD 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋