B to C and E to F?

Thanks for the chart, Greybeard, because it shows the pattern I was looking for up the entire chromatic scale. But I'm still curious why we prefer an eight note major scale to a twelve note (or thirteen) chromatic scale. Is it because we're conditioned to it, or is there something biologically inherent in our brains that make us say "throw out those sharps in the C major scale."

Think of the song Jingle Bells in the key of G. It would start B-B-B_B-B-B_B-D-G-A-B.

As soon as you heard those first six notes, you recognize it as Jingle Bells, so you expect a certain pattern to follow. But if I play it B-B-B_B-B-B_B-D-F#-A-B, even my six year-old would know it's wrong.

Now, we're certainly not pre-wired to know the melody for Jingle Bells, so it has to be a learned response. Doesn't it follow that our preference for our major scales - and perhaps our chord constructions and progressions - are learned as well?

I guess I might have to do some outside research on music theory to get the real answer to my question about the "biology" of music.

Now, we're certainly not pre-wired to know the melody for Jingle Bells, so it has to be a learned response. Doesn't it follow that our preference for our major scales - and perhaps our chord constructions and progressions - are learned as well?

Not necessarily - for the next stage of your research you might want to look at not just the relative frequencies of the notes, but also the overtones that go with them. e.g. when a string vibrates at 440hz, you are not just hearing a tone at that frequency, but a whole stack of higher freqencies above that. It's the combination of these that go to make, say, a major third sound 'good' and a minor second 'bad'.

I think you would like this book....

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D0716760053/104-3305862-8896705

The major scale consists of the following intervals - WWHWWWH. This actually has a structure - 2 blocks of WWH, separated by a W.

There are two single-tone spans in the major scale and one leading tone (vii, which is a semitone from the root). If you analyse the scale structure around the circle of fifths, you will see that the upper tetrachord (4 notes) of one key is the same as the first tetrachord of the next key. Look at C (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C), then look at the next key , which is G (G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G). This follows all the way round.

You have the reason for the two single note spans, but why any were introduced, in the first place, is beyond me.

I would say that western theory is good to listen to inherently. It's not enviromental.

Knowing 'why it's pleasing is virtually impossible to know. It's the same reason almost everyone thinks sunset's look beautiful, or certain food tastes nice.

The only thing I could suppose is that the human mind seems to try to find patterns in everything. So perhaps your mind tries to find patterns in music a similar way to speech. And I would say that not hearing a completed scale is a similar feeling to not hearing a completed sente....

...nce.

I would say that western theory is good to listen to inherently. It's not enviromental.

Knowing 'why it's pleasing is virtually impossible to know. It's the same reason almost everyone thinks sunset's look beautiful, or certain food tastes nice.

The only thing I could suppose is that the human mind seems to try to find patterns in everything. So perhaps your mind tries to find patterns in music a similar way to speech. And I would say that not hearing a completed scale is a similar feeling to not hearing a completed sente....

...nce.

A perfect explanation...and I think a perfect place to end my quest to figure this out.

Thanks all.