Kam se 7. tónem?
What to do with the seventh tone?

Summary/Abstract: The music theory endeavouring for interpretation of the origin of tone systems as derivation of the harmonic series collides to the problem of the 7th tone of the series. The theory evades this tone or ignores it directly, as if it wouldn't exist. Already Pythagoras has deduced the tone system only from the first three tones of the series. Aristoxenos included in his consideration even the 5th tone. This starting point was binding for many generations of music theoreticians. Leonard Euler tried to substantiate the sound structure of the dominant seventh chord with the 7th harmonic tone. But the question of this consideration was evident from a contradiction of the theoretical hypothesis and the aural experience. Paul Hindemith built his system of tonal relations on the base of the first six tones of the harmonic series entirely. He didn't try to overcome the limit between the 6th and the 7th tone. It seems that the problem consists especially on unidentificated interval relations between the 6th and the 7th tone and between the 7th and the 8th tone of the harmonic series. The further zone of the identificated intervals begins newly after the 8th harmonic tone. It is evident, that the harmonic series gives us the natural model for a derivation the perfect octave, perfect fifth and fourth, major and minor third and major and minor second. But it fails as a model to derivation the triton. Interval between the 5th and the 7th tone is in conflict with the aural experience. It seems that it is an urgent need to look for the origin of triton in the tonal harmonic context, not directly in the harmonic series. Interval between the 6th and the 7th harmonic tone greatly approximates coincidentally to the measure of the basic step of the Java's tone system slendro. Would it be possible to consider about the acoustic model in this context?

• Details
• Contents