music theory – hexachords

SCALES AND CHORDS Minor scales Scales and generic scales Hexachords Circle of notes, pitch classes, and symmetry Naming of chords Chords Modes of the jazz minor scale Absolute chord symbols Voicings in jazz HEXACHORDS Since the concepts of major and minor scale have existed for hundreds of years, it is hard to imagine a scale with only four or six consecutive steps and a limited number of notes. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, music theorists and composers thought about music in six-note hexachords. If the range of a melody was larger than a sixth, they just switched to another hexachord. Hexachords always involved the same diatonic scale structure: T T S T T; a symmetrical figure, the same from the end to the beginning. This feature was utilised, for example, in polyphonic music. Monk Guido d'Arezzo (approx. 995-1050) is usually considered to be the father of the hexachord theory; his ideas probably led to the development of the hexachord system, although not before the 13th century. Guido connected the syllables ut, re, mi, and so on (from the hymn Ut queant laxis) to note names so that it was easier for his students to perceive the location of semitones. Originally there were three different hexachords: h durum, h molle, and h naturale: Hexachords The same hexachord is repeated at octave intervals 1. The Greek letter gamma (capitalized) was used under A to complete the hexachord. Its full name was Gamma Ut.. The next one was A re, then B mi, and so on. Note names are listed in the table below. 2. The note C (today small C) was named C fa ut. Thereafter, note names had several syllables (D sol re, E la mi, F fa ut, and so on). 3. Hexachordum molle had b (b fa), but hexachordum durum had b (b mi). The symbol resembling H was the basis for the note name H (used for B in Germanic languages) and the chromatic signs and #. 4. An essential point in the hexachord system was the location of the semitone (mi-fa). Hexachordum molle has a "b" (b rotundum, a round and soft b); hexachordum durum has an "h" (b quadrum, square and hard). For a choral singer, the quality of a hexachord was a matter of judgement; for example in the progression F-G-A-H, whether to sing the last note as a durum on the "mi" or as a molle on the "fa". Transferring from one hexachord to another was called a mutation. The syllable "mi" often led to a cadence, as seen in the example: Authors | Feedback | Sitemap HOME NOTATION KEYS SCALES AND CHORDS FUNCTIONALITY RHYTHM Suomeksi | In English Music theory – Hexachords http://www2.siba.ﬁ/muste1/index.php?id=72&la=en 1 di 2 20/07/15 15:42

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Music Theory – Hexachords

TRANSCRIPT

SCALES AND CHORDS

Minor scales

Scales and generic scales

Hexachords

Circle of notes, pitch

classes, and symmetry

Naming of chords

Chords

Modes of the jazz minor

scale

Absolute chord symbols

Voicings in jazz

H E X A C H O R D S

Since the concepts of major and minor scale have existed for hundreds of years, it is hard toimagine a scale with only four or six consecutive steps and a limited number of notes.

From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, music theorists and composers thought about musicin six-note hexachords. If the range of a melody was larger than a sixth, they just switched toanother hexachord. Hexachords always involved the same diatonic scale structure: T T S T T; asymmetrical figure, the same from the end to the beginning. This feature was utilised, forexample, in polyphonic music.

Monk Guido d'Arezzo (approx. 995-1050) is usually considered to be the father of the hexachordtheory; his ideas probably led to the development of the hexachord system, although notbefore the 13th century. Guido connected the syllables ut, re, mi, and so on (from the hymn Utqueant laxis) to note names so that it was easier for his students to perceive the location ofsemitones. Originally there were three different hexachords: h durum, h molle, and h naturale:

Hexa cho rd s

The same hexachord is repeated at octave intervals1. The Greek letter gamma (capitalized) was used under A to complete the hexachord. Itsfull name was Gamma Ut.. The next one was A re, then B mi, and so on. Note names arelisted in the table below.

The note C (today small C) was named C fa ut. Thereafter, note names had severalsyllables (D sol re, E la mi, F fa ut, and so on).

Hexachordum molle had b (b fa), but hexachordum durum had b (b mi). The symbolresembling H was the basis for the note name H (used for B in Germanic languages) and

the chromatic signs and #.

An essential point in the hexachord system was the location of the semitone (mi-fa).Hexachordum molle has a "b" (b rotundum, a round and soft b); hexachordum durum has an "h"(b quadrum, square and hard). For a choral singer, the quality of a hexachord was a matter ofjudgement; for example in the progression F-G-A-H, whether to sing the last note as a durumon the "mi" or as a molle on the "fa". Transferring from one hexachord to another was called amutation. The syllable "mi" often led to a cadence, as seen in the example:

Authors | Feedback | Sitemap

HOME NOTATION KEYS SCALES AND CHORDS FUNCTIONALITY RHYTHM

Suomeksi | In Engl ish

Music theory – Hexachords http://www2.siba.fi/muste1/index.php?id=72&la=en

1 di 2 20/07/15 15:42

When works of music began to show signs of chromaticism, other than the mere alterationbetween H and B, more hexachords were needed. It was possible to join the syllables mi and fawith other notes. For example, a hexachord starting from D renders the "mi" F sharp. It is worthnoting that chromaticism was originally an extension of diatonicity. As late as the 16th century,it was extremely rare to have chromatically altered notes in a piece of music other than Fsharp, C sharp, G sharp, E flat, and B flat. The hexachord system was gradually given up duringthe 17th century.

Guido's note names listed in a table:

Notename

Syllable

ee la

dd la sol

cc sol fa

bb mi

bb fa

aa la mi re

gg sol re ut

f fa ut

e la mi