tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Aug 22 07:24:39 1997

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Re: yu-bIm-'egh



jIja'pu':
>The Klingon Anthem is...
>...*very* pentatonic! With less than a half dozen exceptions, each of
>the notes fits a pentatonic scale quite well. Each of those exceptions
>can be eliminated quite easily by choosing a different note that matches
>the harmonic requirements of the piece.

jang Qermaq:
>Incidentally, Western music fits a twelve-tone tuning system. Since a
>pentatonic scale has five notes, that leaves seven, or a little over half a
>dozen. And since all 12 pitches are not often found in a melody, it is
>likely that less than 6 pitches not in a pentatonic scale can be found in
>*any* melody at all...

All the "exceptions" in the Anthem are the same pitch.  If we label 
the pentatonic scale as "Do Re Mi So La" for convenience, with La
being the "root" pitch of the minor key in which the Anthem is played:

    [bang]          [bang]          [bang]          [bang]
     -La             -La     -La      Do              Re
     -La             -La     -La      Do
     -La     -La     -La     -La      Do      Do      Re
      Mi      Re      Do    *-Ti*    -La
 -Mi -La         -La -La         -La  Do      Do      Re
  Mi -La         -La -La         -La  Do      Do      Re
      Mi      Mi      Mi      Do      Re      Re      Re    *-Ti*
      Mi      Mi  Mi  Mi      Re  Do  Re      Re  Re  Re      Do
*-Ti* Mi      Re  De  Re    *-Ti*           *-Ti*    -La

Each of the aberrant Ti notes can be replaced with So to maintain a
pure pentatonic scale without damaging the harmonic progression.

'ach tlhIngan Holvo' wIghoSlI' 'ej HolvaD lI'be' qechmeyvam.
vaj tlhIngan QoQ pat vIqel 'e' vImev rIntaH.

-- ghunchu'wI'



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