Subject: Re: Why the music is music and the noise is noise? From: Sigurd Saue <sigurd.saue(at)VOXELVISION.NO> Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 09:00:31 +0200> Or maybe just lacking semitones. The notes of the "black note" pentatonic > scale can be played simultaneously without a lot of sensory roughness -- I > think this is sufficient to explain the apparent "can't miss" > nature of the > scale. The whole tone scale has something of this quality as well (but may > be less comfortable for tonal ears). The lack of semitones in the pentatonic scale also removes the effect of leading tones. This probably implies less restrictions on what we sense as an acceptable melodic passage (as opposed to the diatonic scale). On the other hand, the variation in scale steps in the pentatonic scale ought to make it more interesting to listen to than the whole tone scale - gives it a more "musical" flavor and explains why the pentatonic scale is so globally popular. Just my thoughts. Sigurd Saue