The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #6800 Message #40581
Posted By: Peter T.
06-Oct-98 - 02:26 PM
Thread Name: Modes?
Subject: RE: Modes?
Dear Barbara, my only association with the dulcimer is Coleridgean. Thanks for the note (als. Lane). I'll clean up the question a bit. The tonic-dominant tension routine was so powerful and in such a rut that Debussy headed for whole tones and others headed for modal music, I assume in part because there is no automatic dynamic tension given in modal music as in the standard system. But there must be some kinds of suspensions and resolutions or movements to climaxes or something to give things a shape. Is it all melody driven -- that is, repetitions of tune patterns -- rhythm driven -- different speeds at different moments -- or are there harmonic moves that shape things? It sounds from your example that there are. I am asking out of complete ignorance, but also wondering about how singers and instrumentalists work in modes. Yours, Peter