17: Modulor pt.2

I’ll show one more: group E – I: letter E is a fourth, starting on B = E, next is letter F, another fourth, gives us A, letter G is yet another fourth which gives us D, letter H is a tritone which gives us A flat, and letter I is a minor sixth which gives us a high E.

As we proceed stage by stage the intervals are wider, and eventually reach a span, which is off scale. In my works so far, I have used this grand scale/ staircase (and Modulor related span) 1 octave lower, to accommodate the top B flat.

The grand scale is produced, by tracking through all the pitch levels of the deduced chords. These pitch levels are derived from the 11 listed ‘exotic’ chords. Chord 1, deduced scale is the result.

The second, initial chord begins on C sharp, and since it is an inversion it has the same interval content as chord 1. I did test it though, to be sure. So it is simply Chord 1 deduced scale but up a tone. A is in both and the A flat is not there. Mmmm.

However, if I simply look again at Chord 1 and place it’s intervals on each of it’s constituent pitches (on B D E and G) - that is minor third, perfect fourth, tri-tone and minor sixth, the A flat does appear (tri-tone above the D) and everything else slots into the Modulor 1 scale. Something of this is openly revealed near the beginning of Hey Presto! though it is already ‘at work’ in Qibti.

Hey Presto! performed here by BCMG, and conducted by Diego Masson, begins with a statement of the Modulor span, I octave below our diagram. It is followed by the Marimba, which is sounding variants based on our rising deduced scale, but employing the octatonic aspect revealed by my second scale as opposed to pitch reading of the chords intervals (Simon Limbrick is on Marimba). The A flat can be clearly heard here?

There follows a lively section with semiquaver structures played by keyboard percussion, piano and harp, which gel with the melodic material played by wind and brass. Let’s hear that few minutes before I try to explain more.

The appearance of both A flat and A only occurs when I use the octatonic scale on both Modulor scales. These are provided at the bottom of the page.

The pile up of fourths in the deduced chords help to produce the A and D. What might I do?