Does the 7th major scale note resolve more strongly to the lower tonic (note 1) than the higher tonic (note 8)?Is raising the flat 7th scale-degree of a mode to become a leading tone to the final still modal?Why does a melodic half step resolve on the higher note?What does a major-7 chord resolve/lead to?Why aren't unusual leading tone cadences more common?How do I go about naming/understanding the second chord in corcovadoIs Cmaj7 in the C major scale different than the Cmaj7 in the C Dorian scale?Tension and TonicHow to name more than seven scale tones?Does the dissonance of scale notes, to the tonic, follow a pattern of ascending fifths?A standard term for “Dominant seventh resolves by P4th up motion”
Why is "breaking the mould" positively connoted?
How I can I roll a number of non-digital dice to get a random number between 1 and 150?
Find the cheapest shipping option based on item weight
What to use instead of cling film to wrap pastry
What is the solution to this metapuzzle from a university puzzling column?
29er Road Tire?
Did the manned NASA capsules rotate during descent?
What does this wavy downward arrow preceding a piano chord mean?
Frequency of specific viral sequence in .BAM or .fastq
How can internet speed be 10 times slower without a router than when using a router?
Did we get closer to another plane than we were supposed to, or was the pilot just protecting our delicate sensibilities?
What are the differences between credential stuffing and password spraying?
Appropriate certificate to ask for a fibre installation (ANSI/TIA-568.3-D?)
Out of scope work duties and resignation
Why aren't nationalizations in Russia described as socialist?
Causes of bimodal distributions when bootstrapping a meta-analysis model
A factorization game
What does 'made on' mean here?
Has a commercial or military jet bi-plane ever been manufactured?
Does the 7th major scale note resolve more strongly to the lower tonic (note 1) than the higher tonic (note 8)?
How can I get people to remember my character's gender?
In Stroustrup's example, what does this colon mean in `return 1 : 2`? It's not a label or ternary operator
Why does this derived table improve performance?
How can I support myself financially as a 17 year old with a loan?
Does the 7th major scale note resolve more strongly to the lower tonic (note 1) than the higher tonic (note 8)?
Is raising the flat 7th scale-degree of a mode to become a leading tone to the final still modal?Why does a melodic half step resolve on the higher note?What does a major-7 chord resolve/lead to?Why aren't unusual leading tone cadences more common?How do I go about naming/understanding the second chord in corcovadoIs Cmaj7 in the C major scale different than the Cmaj7 in the C Dorian scale?Tension and TonicHow to name more than seven scale tones?Does the dissonance of scale notes, to the tonic, follow a pattern of ascending fifths?A standard term for “Dominant seventh resolves by P4th up motion”
Music theory articles say:
1) The 1,3,5 are 'stable' and the 2,4,6,7 are 'unstable'.
2)
The 2 most likely resolves down to the 1.
The 4 most likely resolves down to the 3.
The 6 most likely resolves down to the 5.
But the 7 resolves up to the 1.
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
theory voice-leading
edited 37 mins ago
Peter
3,165524
asked 2 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
495212
add a comment |
Music theory articles say:
1) The 1,3,5 are 'stable' and the 2,4,6,7 are 'unstable'.
2)
The 2 most likely resolves down to the 1.
The 4 most likely resolves down to the 3.
The 6 most likely resolves down to the 5.
But the 7 resolves up to the 1.
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
theory voice-leading
edited 37 mins ago
Peter
3,165524
asked 2 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
495212
2
Are you asking about whether C4 sounds stronger going to C3 or C5, or are you asking if B4 sounds stronger going to C4 or C5? I thought you were asking the latter, since B is the seventh scale degree of the C major scale that would normally resolve to a C of some sort. C4 to C3 (or C5) is not what I would call a "resolution".
– Todd Wilcox
2 hours ago
The question is phrased in a confusing way. especially in that the last paragraph doesn't seem to be about the same as the rest of it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
I am asking why it goes up instead of down. It it solely for the sake of composition? I offer the example of C4 ... does it resolve the same higher or lower? If not then the B also resolves (best) to the lower C, in of itself.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
1
I still don’t understand. A C does not “resolve” to another C because there is no tension between two Cs. There is tension between a B and a C. Also in the title you ask about the 7th scale degree. That makes sense. In the key of C the sevent scale degree is B. So talking about the seventh or B resolving makes sense. Talking about the eighth scale degree or the first scale degree (C) resolving doesn’t make sense.
– Todd Wilcox
57 mins ago
Ok, does one sound 'better' ... why would C4 to C3 sound the same as C4 to C5? I tried to edit the question. The C 'resolving' is an example to show that up/down does matter, just not what is the adjacent note.
– Randy Zeitman
42 mins ago
add a comment |
Music theory articles say:
1) The 1,3,5 are 'stable' and the 2,4,6,7 are 'unstable'.
2)
The 2 most likely resolves down to the 1.
The 4 most likely resolves down to the 3.
The 6 most likely resolves down to the 5.
But the 7 resolves up to the 1.
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
theory voice-leading
edited 37 mins ago
Peter
3,165524
asked 2 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
495212
Music theory articles say:
1) The 1,3,5 are 'stable' and the 2,4,6,7 are 'unstable'.
2)
The 2 most likely resolves down to the 1.
The 4 most likely resolves down to the 3.
The 6 most likely resolves down to the 5.
But the 7 resolves up to the 1.
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
theory voice-leading
theory voice-leading
edited 37 mins ago
Peter
3,165524
asked 2 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
495212
edited 37 mins ago
Peter
3,165524
asked 2 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
495212
edited 37 mins ago
Peter
3,165524
edited 37 mins ago
Peter
3,165524
edited 37 mins ago
Peter
3,165524
3,165524
asked 2 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
495212
asked 2 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
495212
asked 2 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
495212
495212
2
Are you asking about whether C4 sounds stronger going to C3 or C5, or are you asking if B4 sounds stronger going to C4 or C5? I thought you were asking the latter, since B is the seventh scale degree of the C major scale that would normally resolve to a C of some sort. C4 to C3 (or C5) is not what I would call a "resolution".
– Todd Wilcox
2 hours ago
The question is phrased in a confusing way. especially in that the last paragraph doesn't seem to be about the same as the rest of it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
I am asking why it goes up instead of down. It it solely for the sake of composition? I offer the example of C4 ... does it resolve the same higher or lower? If not then the B also resolves (best) to the lower C, in of itself.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
1
I still don’t understand. A C does not “resolve” to another C because there is no tension between two Cs. There is tension between a B and a C. Also in the title you ask about the 7th scale degree. That makes sense. In the key of C the sevent scale degree is B. So talking about the seventh or B resolving makes sense. Talking about the eighth scale degree or the first scale degree (C) resolving doesn’t make sense.
– Todd Wilcox
57 mins ago
Ok, does one sound 'better' ... why would C4 to C3 sound the same as C4 to C5? I tried to edit the question. The C 'resolving' is an example to show that up/down does matter, just not what is the adjacent note.
– Randy Zeitman
42 mins ago
add a comment |
2
Are you asking about whether C4 sounds stronger going to C3 or C5, or are you asking if B4 sounds stronger going to C4 or C5? I thought you were asking the latter, since B is the seventh scale degree of the C major scale that would normally resolve to a C of some sort. C4 to C3 (or C5) is not what I would call a "resolution".
– Todd Wilcox
2 hours ago
The question is phrased in a confusing way. especially in that the last paragraph doesn't seem to be about the same as the rest of it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
I am asking why it goes up instead of down. It it solely for the sake of composition? I offer the example of C4 ... does it resolve the same higher or lower? If not then the B also resolves (best) to the lower C, in of itself.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
1
I still don’t understand. A C does not “resolve” to another C because there is no tension between two Cs. There is tension between a B and a C. Also in the title you ask about the 7th scale degree. That makes sense. In the key of C the sevent scale degree is B. So talking about the seventh or B resolving makes sense. Talking about the eighth scale degree or the first scale degree (C) resolving doesn’t make sense.
– Todd Wilcox
57 mins ago
Ok, does one sound 'better' ... why would C4 to C3 sound the same as C4 to C5? I tried to edit the question. The C 'resolving' is an example to show that up/down does matter, just not what is the adjacent note.
– Randy Zeitman
42 mins ago
2
2
Are you asking about whether C4 sounds stronger going to C3 or C5, or are you asking if B4 sounds stronger going to C4 or C5? I thought you were asking the latter, since B is the seventh scale degree of the C major scale that would normally resolve to a C of some sort. C4 to C3 (or C5) is not what I would call a "resolution".
– Todd Wilcox
2 hours ago
Are you asking about whether C4 sounds stronger going to C3 or C5, or are you asking if B4 sounds stronger going to C4 or C5? I thought you were asking the latter, since B is the seventh scale degree of the C major scale that would normally resolve to a C of some sort. C4 to C3 (or C5) is not what I would call a "resolution".
– Todd Wilcox
2 hours ago
The question is phrased in a confusing way. especially in that the last paragraph doesn't seem to be about the same as the rest of it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
The question is phrased in a confusing way. especially in that the last paragraph doesn't seem to be about the same as the rest of it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
I am asking why it goes up instead of down. It it solely for the sake of composition? I offer the example of C4 ... does it resolve the same higher or lower? If not then the B also resolves (best) to the lower C, in of itself.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
I am asking why it goes up instead of down. It it solely for the sake of composition? I offer the example of C4 ... does it resolve the same higher or lower? If not then the B also resolves (best) to the lower C, in of itself.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
1
1
I still don’t understand. A C does not “resolve” to another C because there is no tension between two Cs. There is tension between a B and a C. Also in the title you ask about the 7th scale degree. That makes sense. In the key of C the sevent scale degree is B. So talking about the seventh or B resolving makes sense. Talking about the eighth scale degree or the first scale degree (C) resolving doesn’t make sense.
– Todd Wilcox
57 mins ago
I still don’t understand. A C does not “resolve” to another C because there is no tension between two Cs. There is tension between a B and a C. Also in the title you ask about the 7th scale degree. That makes sense. In the key of C the sevent scale degree is B. So talking about the seventh or B resolving makes sense. Talking about the eighth scale degree or the first scale degree (C) resolving doesn’t make sense.
– Todd Wilcox
57 mins ago
Ok, does one sound 'better' ... why would C4 to C3 sound the same as C4 to C5? I tried to edit the question. The C 'resolving' is an example to show that up/down does matter, just not what is the adjacent note.
– Randy Zeitman
42 mins ago
Ok, does one sound 'better' ... why would C4 to C3 sound the same as C4 to C5? I tried to edit the question. The C 'resolving' is an example to show that up/down does matter, just not what is the adjacent note.
– Randy Zeitman
42 mins ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
No. It resolves most strongly to the one it's adjacent to.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
38.3k1873
The 2,3,6,7 each have two notes adjacent.
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
add a comment |
When talking about resolutions, most if not all times the smaller the distance is the better resolution. In this case hands down the leading tone wants to resolve step wise up, not down a major 7th. That resolution would be jarring to most.
To take a step back, there is no difference from a harmony perspective from any octave equivalence in terms of generic harmony so 1, 8, 15, ect are all treated as the root note your scale/key so the idea 8 would be weaker than 1 is not correct in general terms and in this case 7 will really want to go to 8.
answered 2 hours ago
Dom♦Dom
37.2k19110228
You seem to be saying what I said - the reason is compositional. But in an isolated situation would you prefer C4 to resolve to C3 or C5?
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
Either. Without knowing more about the scenario, there's not enough to say one way or another. Jumping an octave if not handled with care can be quite jarring up or down so I'd be more concerned about that.
– Dom♦
2 hours ago
Play it on piano and see for yourself. I think it's clear that a note resolves better to its lower octave than higher.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
add a comment |
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
I don't understand your distinction between what's "technically" right and what's "compositionally" right. In music, composition comes first, and theory is used to describe the composition.
So the reason we say that the 7th scale degree resolves up to the 1st is because that's how composers have traditionally resolved the 7th scale degree.
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
This is not a good example because there is no tension between octaves. The concept of resolution in Western music theory is based on the idea of tension between the various notes. If you feel that C4 to C3 is stronger than C4 to C5, then you can certainly use that preference to influence your personal compositional style, but it is not something that has yet been incorporated into standard music theory.
answered 24 mins ago
PeterPeter
3,165524
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "240"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);
else
createEditor();
);
function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);
);
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmusic.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f84489%2fdoes-the-7th-major-scale-note-resolve-more-strongly-to-the-lower-tonic-note-1%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
No. It resolves most strongly to the one it's adjacent to.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
38.3k1873
The 2,3,6,7 each have two notes adjacent.
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
add a comment |
No. It resolves most strongly to the one it's adjacent to.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
38.3k1873
The 2,3,6,7 each have two notes adjacent.
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
add a comment |
No. It resolves most strongly to the one it's adjacent to.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
38.3k1873
No. It resolves most strongly to the one it's adjacent to.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
38.3k1873
answered 2 hours ago
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
38.3k1873
answered 2 hours ago
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
38.3k1873
answered 2 hours ago
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
38.3k1873
38.3k1873
The 2,3,6,7 each have two notes adjacent.
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
add a comment |
The 2,3,6,7 each have two notes adjacent.
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
The 2,3,6,7 each have two notes adjacent.
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
The 2,3,6,7 each have two notes adjacent.
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
add a comment |
When talking about resolutions, most if not all times the smaller the distance is the better resolution. In this case hands down the leading tone wants to resolve step wise up, not down a major 7th. That resolution would be jarring to most.
To take a step back, there is no difference from a harmony perspective from any octave equivalence in terms of generic harmony so 1, 8, 15, ect are all treated as the root note your scale/key so the idea 8 would be weaker than 1 is not correct in general terms and in this case 7 will really want to go to 8.
answered 2 hours ago
Dom♦Dom
37.2k19110228
You seem to be saying what I said - the reason is compositional. But in an isolated situation would you prefer C4 to resolve to C3 or C5?
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
Either. Without knowing more about the scenario, there's not enough to say one way or another. Jumping an octave if not handled with care can be quite jarring up or down so I'd be more concerned about that.
– Dom♦
2 hours ago
Play it on piano and see for yourself. I think it's clear that a note resolves better to its lower octave than higher.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
add a comment |
When talking about resolutions, most if not all times the smaller the distance is the better resolution. In this case hands down the leading tone wants to resolve step wise up, not down a major 7th. That resolution would be jarring to most.
To take a step back, there is no difference from a harmony perspective from any octave equivalence in terms of generic harmony so 1, 8, 15, ect are all treated as the root note your scale/key so the idea 8 would be weaker than 1 is not correct in general terms and in this case 7 will really want to go to 8.
answered 2 hours ago
Dom♦Dom
37.2k19110228
You seem to be saying what I said - the reason is compositional. But in an isolated situation would you prefer C4 to resolve to C3 or C5?
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
Either. Without knowing more about the scenario, there's not enough to say one way or another. Jumping an octave if not handled with care can be quite jarring up or down so I'd be more concerned about that.
– Dom♦
2 hours ago
Play it on piano and see for yourself. I think it's clear that a note resolves better to its lower octave than higher.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
add a comment |
When talking about resolutions, most if not all times the smaller the distance is the better resolution. In this case hands down the leading tone wants to resolve step wise up, not down a major 7th. That resolution would be jarring to most.
To take a step back, there is no difference from a harmony perspective from any octave equivalence in terms of generic harmony so 1, 8, 15, ect are all treated as the root note your scale/key so the idea 8 would be weaker than 1 is not correct in general terms and in this case 7 will really want to go to 8.
answered 2 hours ago
Dom♦Dom
37.2k19110228
When talking about resolutions, most if not all times the smaller the distance is the better resolution. In this case hands down the leading tone wants to resolve step wise up, not down a major 7th. That resolution would be jarring to most.
To take a step back, there is no difference from a harmony perspective from any octave equivalence in terms of generic harmony so 1, 8, 15, ect are all treated as the root note your scale/key so the idea 8 would be weaker than 1 is not correct in general terms and in this case 7 will really want to go to 8.
answered 2 hours ago
Dom♦Dom
37.2k19110228
answered 2 hours ago
Dom♦Dom
37.2k19110228
answered 2 hours ago
Dom♦Dom
37.2k19110228
answered 2 hours ago
Dom♦Dom
37.2k19110228
37.2k19110228
You seem to be saying what I said - the reason is compositional. But in an isolated situation would you prefer C4 to resolve to C3 or C5?
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
Either. Without knowing more about the scenario, there's not enough to say one way or another. Jumping an octave if not handled with care can be quite jarring up or down so I'd be more concerned about that.
– Dom♦
2 hours ago
Play it on piano and see for yourself. I think it's clear that a note resolves better to its lower octave than higher.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
add a comment |
You seem to be saying what I said - the reason is compositional. But in an isolated situation would you prefer C4 to resolve to C3 or C5?
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
Either. Without knowing more about the scenario, there's not enough to say one way or another. Jumping an octave if not handled with care can be quite jarring up or down so I'd be more concerned about that.
– Dom♦
2 hours ago
Play it on piano and see for yourself. I think it's clear that a note resolves better to its lower octave than higher.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
You seem to be saying what I said - the reason is compositional. But in an isolated situation would you prefer C4 to resolve to C3 or C5?
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
You seem to be saying what I said - the reason is compositional. But in an isolated situation would you prefer C4 to resolve to C3 or C5?
– Randy Zeitman
2 hours ago
Either. Without knowing more about the scenario, there's not enough to say one way or another. Jumping an octave if not handled with care can be quite jarring up or down so I'd be more concerned about that.
– Dom♦
2 hours ago
Either. Without knowing more about the scenario, there's not enough to say one way or another. Jumping an octave if not handled with care can be quite jarring up or down so I'd be more concerned about that.
– Dom♦
2 hours ago
Play it on piano and see for yourself. I think it's clear that a note resolves better to its lower octave than higher.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
Play it on piano and see for yourself. I think it's clear that a note resolves better to its lower octave than higher.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
add a comment |
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
I don't understand your distinction between what's "technically" right and what's "compositionally" right. In music, composition comes first, and theory is used to describe the composition.
So the reason we say that the 7th scale degree resolves up to the 1st is because that's how composers have traditionally resolved the 7th scale degree.
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
This is not a good example because there is no tension between octaves. The concept of resolution in Western music theory is based on the idea of tension between the various notes. If you feel that C4 to C3 is stronger than C4 to C5, then you can certainly use that preference to influence your personal compositional style, but it is not something that has yet been incorporated into standard music theory.
answered 24 mins ago
PeterPeter
3,165524
add a comment |
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
I don't understand your distinction between what's "technically" right and what's "compositionally" right. In music, composition comes first, and theory is used to describe the composition.
So the reason we say that the 7th scale degree resolves up to the 1st is because that's how composers have traditionally resolved the 7th scale degree.
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
This is not a good example because there is no tension between octaves. The concept of resolution in Western music theory is based on the idea of tension between the various notes. If you feel that C4 to C3 is stronger than C4 to C5, then you can certainly use that preference to influence your personal compositional style, but it is not something that has yet been incorporated into standard music theory.
answered 24 mins ago
PeterPeter
3,165524
add a comment |
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
I don't understand your distinction between what's "technically" right and what's "compositionally" right. In music, composition comes first, and theory is used to describe the composition.
So the reason we say that the 7th scale degree resolves up to the 1st is because that's how composers have traditionally resolved the 7th scale degree.
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
This is not a good example because there is no tension between octaves. The concept of resolution in Western music theory is based on the idea of tension between the various notes. If you feel that C4 to C3 is stronger than C4 to C5, then you can certainly use that preference to influence your personal compositional style, but it is not something that has yet been incorporated into standard music theory.
answered 24 mins ago
PeterPeter
3,165524
The question is, does the 7 actually, technically, resolve more strongly to the 'lower' tonic (1) than the 'higher' tonic but compositionally it sounds better to resolve to the upper tonic?
I don't understand your distinction between what's "technically" right and what's "compositionally" right. In music, composition comes first, and theory is used to describe the composition.
So the reason we say that the 7th scale degree resolves up to the 1st is because that's how composers have traditionally resolved the 7th scale degree.
For example, ignoring the 7, if C4 (middle C) resolves more strongly to C4 than C5 then it would stand to reason that B actually resolves better to the lower tonic but it's always listed as going to the higher tonic because it's more compositionally useful.
This is not a good example because there is no tension between octaves. The concept of resolution in Western music theory is based on the idea of tension between the various notes. If you feel that C4 to C3 is stronger than C4 to C5, then you can certainly use that preference to influence your personal compositional style, but it is not something that has yet been incorporated into standard music theory.
answered 24 mins ago
PeterPeter
3,165524
answered 24 mins ago
PeterPeter
3,165524
answered 24 mins ago
PeterPeter
3,165524
answered 24 mins ago
PeterPeter
3,165524
3,165524
add a comment |
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmusic.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f84489%2fdoes-the-7th-major-scale-note-resolve-more-strongly-to-the-lower-tonic-note-1%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
2
Are you asking about whether C4 sounds stronger going to C3 or C5, or are you asking if B4 sounds stronger going to C4 or C5? I thought you were asking the latter, since B is the seventh scale degree of the C major scale that would normally resolve to a C of some sort. C4 to C3 (or C5) is not what I would call a "resolution".
– Todd Wilcox
2 hours ago
The question is phrased in a confusing way. especially in that the last paragraph doesn't seem to be about the same as the rest of it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
I am asking why it goes up instead of down. It it solely for the sake of composition? I offer the example of C4 ... does it resolve the same higher or lower? If not then the B also resolves (best) to the lower C, in of itself.
– Randy Zeitman
1 hour ago
1
I still don’t understand. A C does not “resolve” to another C because there is no tension between two Cs. There is tension between a B and a C. Also in the title you ask about the 7th scale degree. That makes sense. In the key of C the sevent scale degree is B. So talking about the seventh or B resolving makes sense. Talking about the eighth scale degree or the first scale degree (C) resolving doesn’t make sense.
– Todd Wilcox
57 mins ago
Ok, does one sound 'better' ... why would C4 to C3 sound the same as C4 to C5? I tried to edit the question. The C 'resolving' is an example to show that up/down does matter, just not what is the adjacent note.
– Randy Zeitman
42 mins ago