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From David Cope, Techniques of theContemporary Composer, p. 27.

Various types of nontonal scales: modes, synthetic, and non-Western scales

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Folk MusicCharacteristics

!

Unusual phrase lengths (not restricted to 2, 4, 8, etc.)

! Metric variety: frequent use of mixed and additive meters

! Temporal fluidity: use of irregular rhythmic subdivisions and tempo changes.

! Modal rather than tonal melodies; not bound to the tyrannical rule of the

major and minor keys (Bartk).

! Not restricted by equal temperament: use of microtonal pitch inflections andscales based on natural tuning systems.

! Free from the expressive pretensions of 19th-century art music.

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Folk tune transcribed by Bla Bartk.

Irregular phrases

Flexible tempoIrregular rhythmic subdivisions

Microtonal pitch inflection

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Diatonic Modes

White note version: Starting on C:Mode name:

Ionian

Dorian

Phrygian

Lydian

Mixolydian

Aeolian

Locrian

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Diatonic Modes

Lydian:

Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F (1903)

Phrygian:

Ralph Vaughn Williams: Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis(1910)

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Pentatonic Scales

Derivation from diatonic scale:

The most familiar variety of pentatonic scale is the anhemitonic (I.e., without

semitones); it may be easily realized by playing on the black keys of the piano.

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Pentatonic Scales

Anhemitonic variety:

Claude Debussy: Nuages from Nocturnes(1899)

Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F (1903)

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Claude Debussy: String Quartet (1893)

Pentatonic Scales

Other varieties:

Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps(1913)

m2 M3

m2P4

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Whole-Tone Scale

Claude Debussy: Canope from PreludesBook II (1913)

A

B

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Octatonic Scale

Three transpositions:

Two versions:

A

B

Major (whole-half)

Minor (half-whole)

1

2

3

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Octatonic Scale

Two nested diminished 7th chords

Structure:

Four overlapping [013] pitch cells

Igor Stravinsky: Octet(1922)

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Bla Bartk:MikrokosmosNo. 99Crossed Hands

Octatonic pentachord 1 (RH):

Octatonic pentachord 2 (LH):

These two octatonic pentachords

combine to form a single octatonic

collection.

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Olivier Messiaen!s Modes of Limited Transposition

From David Cope, Techniques of the

Contemporary Composer, p. 27.

Mode 1: 6 pitches, 2 transpositions(whole tone)

Mode 2: 8 pitches, 3 transpositions(octatonic)

Mode 3: 9 pitches, 4 transpositions Mode 4: 8 pitches, 6 transpositions

Mode 5: 6 pitches, 6 transpositions Mode 6: 8 pitches, 6 transpositions

Mode 7: 10 pitches, 6 transpositions

2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2

2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1

1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1

1 4 1 1 4 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1