- 18 abr 2011
- A comparison of two systems
- The name of the Sixth scale degree
Italian and French system call the sixth scale degree differently from German and English speaking countries.
What seems a small point is actually a profound difference in harmony and teaching conception.
The Franco- Italian system consists of two mains degrees the Tonic (I) and the Dominant (V) both surrounded by their neighboring tones. The scale is centered on the Mediant (III) that divides the fifth interval I-V
The degree VII is either the Sous tonique (Subtonic) when placed a tone under the tonic or the Sensible (Leading tone) if the interval is a semitone.Sensible is used in sense of "attracted " by the tonic)
Degree II is the Sus-tonique (Supertonique ) because above the tonic.
Degree III is the Mediante because placed in the middle of scale
Degree IV is the Sous Dominante (Sub dominant) under the dominante
Degree VI is the Sus dominante (super dominant)over the dominante
This system reminds the old church modes based on Two degrees :
- The finale,kind of tonic , ends the piece but has not the compelling action of a tonic
- The teneur , the ancestor of the dominant,is the most conspicuous degree of the mode
This system displays an ascending conjunct line and promotes melody through voice leading using rules of counterpoint rather than chord progression. The understatement is "melody creates harmony" that opposed Rousseau and Tartini to Rameau .
The German system,centered on the scale degree I, is compound of three main degrees
- the tonic I enclosed by its neigboring tones (VII-II)
- the Sub dominant IV ,a fifth below the tonic
- The Dominant V,a fifth above the tonic
This system stems from Rameau's theory on fundamental bass that was mostly spread out in Germany and lead to the stufen (degrees) theory from which Riemann evolved the functionnal harmony.
Teaching insists on Chord progression.
Here, the degree IV is Sub dominant means an inferior dominant (a fifth below the tonic) creating the harmonic skeleton: a descending fifths series.
VI is Sub mediant because it divides the inferior fifth
III being in the middle of the upper fifth is the mediant (understood superior)
The harmony creates the melody contrary to the Franco-Italian school
Actually there is not an antinomy between the two systems which share most of the voice leading rules.
It 's interesting to notice the historical elements that perdure or disappear according to countries. Germany have retained ancient Greek notation for the name of the notes (ABCDDE ) while France choose the more recent medieval system (Ut re mi fa sol la si) opposite to the name of degrees