Tritonic scale
A tritonic scale is a musical scale or mode with three notes per octave. This is in contrast to a heptatonic (seven-note) scale such as the major scale and minor scale, or a dodecatonic (chromatic 12-note) scale, both common in modern Western music. Tritonic scales are not common in modern art music[citation needed], and are generally associated with indigenous and prehistoric music.[2]
Distribution
[edit | edit source]India
[edit | edit source]Early Indian Rig Vedic hymns were tri-tonic, sung in three pitches with no octave: Udatta, Anudatta, and Swarita.
Maori
[edit | edit source]In a 1969 study, Mervyn McLean noted that tritonic scales were the most common among the Maori tribes he surveyed, comprising 47% of the scales used.[3]
South America
[edit | edit source]The pre-Hispanic herranza ritual music of the Andes is generally tritonic, based on a major triad, and played on the waqra phuku trumpet, violin, and singer with a tinya drum. The tritonic scale is largely limited to this ritual and to some southern Peruvian Carnival music.[4]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Bruno Nettl and Helen Myers (1976). Folk Music in the United States: An Introduction, third edition (Wayne Books WB41) Detroit: Wayne State University Press, p. 40. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (cloth); Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (pbk).
- ^ Onkar Prasad, "Tribal Music: Its Proper Context", in Tribal Thought and Culture: Essays in Honour of Surajit Chandra Sinha, edited by Baidyanath Saraswati, 131–49 (New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, 1991): 131 (accessed 18 January 2020) Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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