GRGR920) note, part 1 or 2 Michael Perez

[HenryM]

'Scuse me. Isn't the name Mixolydian used in large part because it's just so
much fun to say?

Keep cool, but care.

AsB4,

Mu Me

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Mackin" <pmackin at clark.net>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2000 10:08 AM
Subject: GRGR920) note, part 1 or 2 Michael Perez


> Michael Perez wrote:
> >
> > Paul wrote:
> > "Don't know the answer to this. The modern mixolydian scale would have
> > to start on G rather B (Greek) if the black notes were missing as in
> > the GR situation--in order that is to depart from C major only with
> > respect to the flatted seventh. What this might have to do with
> > anything I don't know. Maybe it could be considered a start on the road
> > to the Blues. Just need to additionally flat the third and fifth."
> >
> > I don't know what you mean by "modern mixolydian scale" here or why it
> > would "have to start on G."  The modes started on different tones so
> > that there would be different intervals between notes.  As far as the
> > road to the blues, Miles used modes for music written in the early 60s.
> >  _Kind of Blue_ was the a entire album of modal jazz - still sounds
> > great after all these years, too.  He used the church type Dorian mode
> > (all white keys beginning on D) mostly, if I recall correctly.
>
> Michael--
> By "modern mixolydian" I merely meant not of the Ancient World. Modern
> in the modal context could be said to have started with Medieval music.
> Don't know if this modern meaning applies to V. Just thought I'd throw
> it in. I don't know the approved way to describe what mixolydian means
> today. The way I think of it is simply as changing the position of the
> second half tone to between the sixth and seventh from between the
> seventh and eighth as in the major scale. Thus to get the mixolydian
> pattern of whole and half tones on a keyboard without using black keys
> you have to start on G. This is merely taking advantage of the fact that
> the intervals between B and C and  between E and F are naturally only a
> half tone--no room for a black key in other words.  As I say I was just
> playing with ideas. Don't imagine they add up to much of anything. The
> idea of the mixolydian mode being a Blues scale without the black keys
> required for the additional downward half tone shifting was possibly a
> feeble reference to Speer who was the only Black character and therefore
> the only one with full access to the Blues. It was a reach.
>
>
>                         P.
>