Pitches and notes
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fluffy_little_something fluffy_little_something https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=281847
- Banned
- Topic Starter
- 12880 posts since 5 Jun, 2012
I know different descriptions, lots of people say major is more cheerful, minor more melancholic...
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- KVRAF
- 11162 posts since 16 Mar, 2003 from Porto - Portugal
So, you live In Portugalfluffy_little_something wrote: Yes, I live in Portugal, they only seem to use those names here, no matter for which genre...
The first time I stumbled upon Sol, I didn't know they were referring to a note, but sun didn't make any sense, either
Didn't realized till now. Muito gosto 
Regarding the note names, we are not the only ones. Spanish and french also use names for the notes. Italians seem to use the letters, though. English use letters with adjectives, and germans (which seems to be your native origin) have those strange "is" and "es", besides the B/H.
It's not difficult when we are born in it, but when we need to learn it as grownups, it's harder, I guess.
Fernando (FMR)
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JumpingJackFlash JumpingJackFlash https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=44005
- KVRian
- 1227 posts since 10 Oct, 2004
As I recall, the usage originates from medieval practice which recognised two sorts of B, the "hard B" (B durum) which is what we would call B-natural, and "soft B" (B molle) which is what we would call B-flat.
The usage was also extended to hexachords which contained those notes, so you had the "hard" (durum) hexachord G-A-B-C-D-E, and the "soft" (molle) hexachord F-G-A-Bb-C-D (there was also a "natural" (naturale) hexachord' C-D-E-F-G-A, which contained neither form of B).
Later, music was essentially divided into two scale systems; cantus durus (used with no key signature), and cantus mollis (with one flat). (Some theorists recognised a third scale, cantus fictus, with two flats in the signature).
(Obviously this is only a very simplistic overview)
The usage was also extended to hexachords which contained those notes, so you had the "hard" (durum) hexachord G-A-B-C-D-E, and the "soft" (molle) hexachord F-G-A-Bb-C-D (there was also a "natural" (naturale) hexachord' C-D-E-F-G-A, which contained neither form of B).
Later, music was essentially divided into two scale systems; cantus durus (used with no key signature), and cantus mollis (with one flat). (Some theorists recognised a third scale, cantus fictus, with two flats in the signature).
(Obviously this is only a very simplistic overview)
Unfamiliar words can be looked up in my Glossary of musical terms.
Also check out my Introduction to Music Theory.
Also check out my Introduction to Music Theory.
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- KVRAF
- 11162 posts since 16 Mar, 2003 from Porto - Portugal
Right, as usualJumpingJackFlash wrote:As I recall, the usage originates from medieval practice which recognised two sorts of B, the "hard B" (B durum) which is what we would call B-natural, and "soft B" (B molle) which is what we would call B-flat.
The usage was also extended to hexachords which contained those notes, so you had the "hard" (durum) hexachord G-A-B-C-D-E, and the "soft" (molle) hexachord F-G-A-Bb-C-D (there was also a "natural" (naturale) hexachord' C-D-E-F-G-A, which contained neither form of B).
Later, music was essentially divided into two scale systems; cantus durus (used with no key signature), and cantus mollis (with one flat). (Some theorists recognised a third scale, cantus fictus, with two flats in the signature).
(Obviously this is only a very simplistic overview)
What's funny is how some terms remain, with meanings completely different from its origins. And even the symbols for the accidents have their origin in these.
Fernando (FMR)
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- KVRAF
- 2210 posts since 20 Sep, 2013 from Poland
These days I'd say minor is normal, major is retro. There's not a lot of big hits in major keys anymore - off the top of my head the only one I can think of that's newer than "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" is "Royals".fluffy_little_something wrote:I know different descriptions, lots of people say major is more cheerful, minor more melancholic...