Bruce Olsen wrote:

>What is the keynote?
>
>E natural with flatted 3rd is in the description, not the
>specification, since the notation doesn't change if we drop that.
>However, since the keynote isn't obvious that would be valuable
>supplementary information, if it is correct, but maybe it isn't.
>Let's see.
>
>In the table following the 2nd row is the % of total time spent
>on the note indicated above it. We put a 1 in the 3rd row when
>note is in the tune, otherwise 0.
>
>For keynote E we have:
>E     F  F#/Gb  G   G#/Ab A   A#/Bb  B    C C#/Db   D   D#/Eb
>23.44 0  6.77  7.81  0   8.85  0    17.19 0  1.56  34.38  0
>(1)   0   1     1    0    1    0     1    0   1     1     0
> 0    1   2     4    8   16   32     64  128 256  512     1024 =
>mult. last  2 rows together, column by column, and add
>Mode#=0  +2    +4   +0   +16  +0    +64  +0 +256  +512   +0 = 854

I find it easier to look at these things as histograms:

Note useage % Histogram

E       *************************
F
F#      *******
G       *******
G#
A       **********
A#
B       ******************
C
C#      *
D       ********************************
D#

>854 = Dorian mode, which fits with the 2 sharps on the key
>signature, which is what Jack said, but the tune spends
>1.47 times longer on D than on E, so let's rearrange to
>start with D and see what we get.
>
>[Phil Taylor's % time ordering scheme fits beautifully with my
>mode numbering system. Once you have his pattern starting with
>the most common note you don't have to search for a match, you
>can just calculate the mode number for any mode that you can
>score in 12TET, no matter how many different notes you have. [If
>the mode number you get doesn't match one in the file
>MODETABL.TXT on my website, I would greatly appreciate a copy of
>the tune, so I can add another 'real' mode to my data base.]
>
> D   D#/Eb  E   F F#/Gb  G  G#/Ab   A  A#/Bb  B     C C#/Db
>34.38  0  23.44 0 6.77  7.81  0   8.85   0   17.19  0  1.56
> (1)   0    1   0   1     1   0     1    0     1    0    1
>  0    1    2   4   8    16   32    64  128   256  512  1024
>Mode#= 0 +  2  +0  +8   +16   +0   +64  +0  +256  +0 +1024 = 1370

Here's the histogram rearranged:

Note useage % Histogram

D       ********************************
D#
E       *************************
F
F#      *******
G       *******
G#
A       **********
A#
B       ******************
C
C#      *


>1370 is Ionian/major mode, So Gow's tune looks more like it might
>be D major instead of E Dorian. What is it?

Apart from the strong D, the first histogram is very typical of
a dorian mode tune.  The second histogram would be very atypical
for a major-key tune - the second (E) is much too strong, and
the fifth (G) is very weak.  E Dorian is a much better fit here,
and indeed you can accompany the tune using Em, G and D chords,
but not using D, G and A.  The tune does end on a D chord though.


<snip>

>When looking for the 'final' of a tune you have to ignore any
>flare of short-time notes at the very end. If we ignore that
>B/A/G/F/ at the end here, we get that (d)D as the keynote.

Yes, the final here is definitely D, but I think the tune as a
whole is in E dor.

Phil Taylor


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