Joe....it is cultural background....

Unless it is a "Charlie Chan" or a "Bruce Lee" film...the pentatonic scale of the Asian cultures is "alien" to the "western folk - ear"

To the Mexican....the three tone vocalrange of the Hispanic culture's speaking is a beauty in-toned from infancy....when the little Spanish child encounters the fourth tone in his Anglo teacher's voice it is frightening.....when the teacher gets angry and raises the tone to the Anglo's fifth-tone-level....the small child reports that "when maestra gets angry she goes crazy" this is because the student has NEVER had experiences within this tonal range. (Olguin - 1973)

Back to MUSIC
To repeat a previous thread's admonition....JAZZ...transcends cultures....its "structure within non-structure" is a REAL challenge. It's tonal ranges break the boundries of tradition.