Are there historical references that show that “diatonic” is a version of 'di-tonic' meaning 'two...
Wikipedia says that "diatonic" refers to a whole note scale or a scale with seven pitched per octave.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatonic_and_chromatic
But my take is that the major and minor scale are built from five-note groupings with the intervals of WWHW and WHWW ... which is another way of saying that keys are built in fifths C-G-D-A etc. because C and G (I and V) are the most consonant notes ... the G is the 'secondary tonic'.
This is also the position of a music theory website ...
http://www.historyofmusictheory.com/?page_id=158 which states...
"This second tonic or “Di-tonic” which phonetically can be argued that this was the original meaning of “Dia-tonic” (Two tonics root and 5th producing the Hypo(dual tonic/di-tonic) scales as opposed to the common “Diatonic” naming convention."
But there is no historical reference here.
Is there an actual historical reference to our phonetic speculations that diatonic really means 'di-tonic'?
theory history
add a comment |
Wikipedia says that "diatonic" refers to a whole note scale or a scale with seven pitched per octave.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatonic_and_chromatic
But my take is that the major and minor scale are built from five-note groupings with the intervals of WWHW and WHWW ... which is another way of saying that keys are built in fifths C-G-D-A etc. because C and G (I and V) are the most consonant notes ... the G is the 'secondary tonic'.
This is also the position of a music theory website ...
http://www.historyofmusictheory.com/?page_id=158 which states...
"This second tonic or “Di-tonic” which phonetically can be argued that this was the original meaning of “Dia-tonic” (Two tonics root and 5th producing the Hypo(dual tonic/di-tonic) scales as opposed to the common “Diatonic” naming convention."
But there is no historical reference here.
Is there an actual historical reference to our phonetic speculations that diatonic really means 'di-tonic'?
theory history
4
Reputable dictionaries show the etymology with dia- without exception, so the burden of proof is on the website. At any rate, it is not etymology that will validate an unconventional theory, but whether it is useful.
– replete
5 hours ago
add a comment |
Wikipedia says that "diatonic" refers to a whole note scale or a scale with seven pitched per octave.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatonic_and_chromatic
But my take is that the major and minor scale are built from five-note groupings with the intervals of WWHW and WHWW ... which is another way of saying that keys are built in fifths C-G-D-A etc. because C and G (I and V) are the most consonant notes ... the G is the 'secondary tonic'.
This is also the position of a music theory website ...
http://www.historyofmusictheory.com/?page_id=158 which states...
"This second tonic or “Di-tonic” which phonetically can be argued that this was the original meaning of “Dia-tonic” (Two tonics root and 5th producing the Hypo(dual tonic/di-tonic) scales as opposed to the common “Diatonic” naming convention."
But there is no historical reference here.
Is there an actual historical reference to our phonetic speculations that diatonic really means 'di-tonic'?
theory history
Wikipedia says that "diatonic" refers to a whole note scale or a scale with seven pitched per octave.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatonic_and_chromatic
But my take is that the major and minor scale are built from five-note groupings with the intervals of WWHW and WHWW ... which is another way of saying that keys are built in fifths C-G-D-A etc. because C and G (I and V) are the most consonant notes ... the G is the 'secondary tonic'.
This is also the position of a music theory website ...
http://www.historyofmusictheory.com/?page_id=158 which states...
"This second tonic or “Di-tonic” which phonetically can be argued that this was the original meaning of “Dia-tonic” (Two tonics root and 5th producing the Hypo(dual tonic/di-tonic) scales as opposed to the common “Diatonic” naming convention."
But there is no historical reference here.
Is there an actual historical reference to our phonetic speculations that diatonic really means 'di-tonic'?
theory history
theory history
asked 6 hours ago
Randy ZeitmanRandy Zeitman
390210
390210
4
Reputable dictionaries show the etymology with dia- without exception, so the burden of proof is on the website. At any rate, it is not etymology that will validate an unconventional theory, but whether it is useful.
– replete
5 hours ago
add a comment |
4
Reputable dictionaries show the etymology with dia- without exception, so the burden of proof is on the website. At any rate, it is not etymology that will validate an unconventional theory, but whether it is useful.
– replete
5 hours ago
4
4
Reputable dictionaries show the etymology with dia- without exception, so the burden of proof is on the website. At any rate, it is not etymology that will validate an unconventional theory, but whether it is useful.
– replete
5 hours ago
Reputable dictionaries show the etymology with dia- without exception, so the burden of proof is on the website. At any rate, it is not etymology that will validate an unconventional theory, but whether it is useful.
– replete
5 hours ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
Diatonic comes from Greek "διατονική" (there are early Greek music theory texts from times way before Western Middle Ages) and "di" and "dia" are completely different word constituents in Greek. It sounds like that website is making up things.
New contributor
Yes, they are and I am too. We both state so.
– Randy Zeitman
5 hours ago
I think the Greek might be διατονικό
– Tom Serb
2 hours ago
@TomSerb, those are both cases of the same form διατονικός. el.wiktionary.org/wiki/…
– replete
2 hours ago
@RandyZeitman User57883 means that the website made up the etymological claim.
– user45266
18 mins ago
add a comment |
The only times I've seen the word "ditonic" used in music were in theoretical scale lists. Rather than meaning "two tonics" it means "two tones", in the same sense that we use in talking about pentatonic or heptatonic scales.
"dia-" is Greek for "through": diameters are measures through a circle, diagonals are lines dividing squares or rectangles, etc by going through their center from corner to corner, etc. Diatonic is literally "through the tones".
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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Diatonic comes from Greek "διατονική" (there are early Greek music theory texts from times way before Western Middle Ages) and "di" and "dia" are completely different word constituents in Greek. It sounds like that website is making up things.
New contributor
Yes, they are and I am too. We both state so.
– Randy Zeitman
5 hours ago
I think the Greek might be διατονικό
– Tom Serb
2 hours ago
@TomSerb, those are both cases of the same form διατονικός. el.wiktionary.org/wiki/…
– replete
2 hours ago
@RandyZeitman User57883 means that the website made up the etymological claim.
– user45266
18 mins ago
add a comment |
Diatonic comes from Greek "διατονική" (there are early Greek music theory texts from times way before Western Middle Ages) and "di" and "dia" are completely different word constituents in Greek. It sounds like that website is making up things.
New contributor
Yes, they are and I am too. We both state so.
– Randy Zeitman
5 hours ago
I think the Greek might be διατονικό
– Tom Serb
2 hours ago
@TomSerb, those are both cases of the same form διατονικός. el.wiktionary.org/wiki/…
– replete
2 hours ago
@RandyZeitman User57883 means that the website made up the etymological claim.
– user45266
18 mins ago
add a comment |
Diatonic comes from Greek "διατονική" (there are early Greek music theory texts from times way before Western Middle Ages) and "di" and "dia" are completely different word constituents in Greek. It sounds like that website is making up things.
New contributor
Diatonic comes from Greek "διατονική" (there are early Greek music theory texts from times way before Western Middle Ages) and "di" and "dia" are completely different word constituents in Greek. It sounds like that website is making up things.
New contributor
New contributor
answered 5 hours ago
user57883user57883
211
211
New contributor
New contributor
Yes, they are and I am too. We both state so.
– Randy Zeitman
5 hours ago
I think the Greek might be διατονικό
– Tom Serb
2 hours ago
@TomSerb, those are both cases of the same form διατονικός. el.wiktionary.org/wiki/…
– replete
2 hours ago
@RandyZeitman User57883 means that the website made up the etymological claim.
– user45266
18 mins ago
add a comment |
Yes, they are and I am too. We both state so.
– Randy Zeitman
5 hours ago
I think the Greek might be διατονικό
– Tom Serb
2 hours ago
@TomSerb, those are both cases of the same form διατονικός. el.wiktionary.org/wiki/…
– replete
2 hours ago
@RandyZeitman User57883 means that the website made up the etymological claim.
– user45266
18 mins ago
Yes, they are and I am too. We both state so.
– Randy Zeitman
5 hours ago
Yes, they are and I am too. We both state so.
– Randy Zeitman
5 hours ago
I think the Greek might be διατονικό
– Tom Serb
2 hours ago
I think the Greek might be διατονικό
– Tom Serb
2 hours ago
@TomSerb, those are both cases of the same form διατονικός. el.wiktionary.org/wiki/…
– replete
2 hours ago
@TomSerb, those are both cases of the same form διατονικός. el.wiktionary.org/wiki/…
– replete
2 hours ago
@RandyZeitman User57883 means that the website made up the etymological claim.
– user45266
18 mins ago
@RandyZeitman User57883 means that the website made up the etymological claim.
– user45266
18 mins ago
add a comment |
The only times I've seen the word "ditonic" used in music were in theoretical scale lists. Rather than meaning "two tonics" it means "two tones", in the same sense that we use in talking about pentatonic or heptatonic scales.
"dia-" is Greek for "through": diameters are measures through a circle, diagonals are lines dividing squares or rectangles, etc by going through their center from corner to corner, etc. Diatonic is literally "through the tones".
add a comment |
The only times I've seen the word "ditonic" used in music were in theoretical scale lists. Rather than meaning "two tonics" it means "two tones", in the same sense that we use in talking about pentatonic or heptatonic scales.
"dia-" is Greek for "through": diameters are measures through a circle, diagonals are lines dividing squares or rectangles, etc by going through their center from corner to corner, etc. Diatonic is literally "through the tones".
add a comment |
The only times I've seen the word "ditonic" used in music were in theoretical scale lists. Rather than meaning "two tonics" it means "two tones", in the same sense that we use in talking about pentatonic or heptatonic scales.
"dia-" is Greek for "through": diameters are measures through a circle, diagonals are lines dividing squares or rectangles, etc by going through their center from corner to corner, etc. Diatonic is literally "through the tones".
The only times I've seen the word "ditonic" used in music were in theoretical scale lists. Rather than meaning "two tonics" it means "two tones", in the same sense that we use in talking about pentatonic or heptatonic scales.
"dia-" is Greek for "through": diameters are measures through a circle, diagonals are lines dividing squares or rectangles, etc by going through their center from corner to corner, etc. Diatonic is literally "through the tones".
answered 2 hours ago
Tom SerbTom Serb
2967
2967
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Reputable dictionaries show the etymology with dia- without exception, so the burden of proof is on the website. At any rate, it is not etymology that will validate an unconventional theory, but whether it is useful.
– replete
5 hours ago