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7/4: The Harmonists

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The Harmonists

Several generations after Pythagoras, a group of people calling themselves The Harmonists developed dozens of other scales. In this chapter I demonstrate the traditional ancient Greek modes, plus dozens of more obscure ancient Greek modes from other centuries. For example, Danielou’s version of the Olympos scale, which I used in my song “Late Have I Loved You,” was developed in 650 B.C. It evokes hope on the ascent and melancholy as it descends, and two different pitches are used for the Db’s.

Figure 7-6b

Some Greeks chafed at the heavily structured theoretical systems of Pythagoras and the generations of theorists who followed him. I would be interested to hear the actual music of Timotheus of Miletus, for example.  In the Golden Age of Pericles, when music theory was in full flower, he probably rejected these constructs, as you may surmise from these lyrics to one of his pop hits:

I do not sing the old things,

Because the new are the winners.

Zeus the young is king today;

Once it was Kronos ruling.

Go to Hell, old dame Music!…

If you would like to learn more about this chapter, “Ancient Greece,” you can buy the entire book, The Grand Unified Theory of Music, in pdf form for $25 with hundreds of embedded musical examples of scales and chords from all over the world.

A free introduction to what The Grand Unified Theory of Music offers is on this website and includes both text and a few musical examples from each webpage. If you would like to learn more about this chapter and the full contents of this entire e-book, you can buy The Grand Unified Theory of Music for $25, with hundreds of embedded musical examples of scales and chords from all over the world — and ideas for how to set up your computer system —

HERE.

You’ll get a personalized password you can use to see the entire e-book. Inside the full book, you will also get a link to the complete pdf file of this e-book, which you can read on your Kindle or similar device. The links to the hundreds of mp3 sound files – the same ones you can hear on the website — will also be included. This is “Version 1.0” of The Grand Unified Theory of Music. Because it is an e-book, additions, corrections and improvements in the sound may be added at any time. The Grand Unified Theory of Music is Copyright © 2018 by Christopher Mohr. All rights reserved.

One person per password. Sharing this password with others is a violation of copyright. Do not allow others to use your password or link to the pdf file!

Next Page: 7/5 – Catholic/Byzantine Scales