MJVOR SCALE

ASPECTS MELODK.‘
1 2 more i CX‘
HARMONY IN ITS SYSTEMIC AND pHENOMENOLOCICAL
it appears it
vWM}
I ' s of the melodic
minor
lll I (see 23.3.2; The
ENTRY INTO THE DIRECTIONAL TONES framework (it hinders blurc the. tonality.
dc-

,
25.3.1.1
tensded tonal marked f and g are
to ressions minor m0

p
The raised srx'th tone is usually entered from the fifth tone while the natural ductus of the melodt

-
digsturbs the melodic
seventh tone is usually entered from the eighth (first) tone. Other progressions mOde). The hp
one marked
do exist, but they are less common and should be used cautiously since they
. S,
might lead to tonal ambigutty‘ (see 23.3.1.1.1; 23.3.1.1.2). 23.3.1.2 DOUBLING the
blm these
dsomewhat
tones, are tendentiou
altered
tones, like other DOUBLED ( on g
Directional therefore, NOT
23.3.1.1.1 Entry into the Raised Sixth Tone
arm as the leading
tone. They are,
l

tonal ambigmty' ' and, fi nall y',

a certain tonal '
imbalance.

'
The progressions presented below (Ex. 828) are marked from a to h, on the tones is liable to create
s

basrs of the extent to which they characterize the melodic minor mode. even parallel octaves). seventh tone. acts as da
when following the natural and therefore shoul
The natural sixth tone, tone).
to arrive at the fifth
EXAMPLE 828 directional tone (aspiring that it is not entered from the nlatural
C. in the event
preferably not be doubled. tone
a.
- llq—I constitute a directiona
' 2--
""--—'— :.-;"-:_..t.= tone, the natural sixth tone DOES NOT
|\Iv seventh
and may be freely doubled.
The progressions marked a, b, and c are characteristic. The progressions
Seventh Tones
marked d and e are rare (the progression marked e is found only in descent). 23.3.2 Raised Six'th
and Natural
The progression marked f appears in a tonal framework based on a more as Non-Directional Tones
minor tone and notV every
highly developed chromaticism (it blurs the character of the melodic is worth mentioning that not every natural seventh
melodic ductus of the melodic It in which these
mode). The progression marked g disrupts the
sixth tone is a directional tone. There are many instances
stx'th tone, en raised .of a melodic
minor mode (a natural seventh tone tends to move to the natural conditions (in the framework
l1 disturbs the balance of the tones appear in other contextual different treat-
route to the fifth tone). The progression marked minor mode), demanding
(an ascending leap into the ductus other than that of the melodic to doubling). This occurs
melodic line, for which reason it is not useful and
unbalance the melodic line). ment (both with regard to melodic progression of a certain degree which
leading tone or into a raised altered tone is apt to the tonicalization
prim'arily in passages where
(Ex. 830).
includes one of these tones takes place
23.3.1.1.2 Entry into the Natural Seventh Tone
h. on the basis of the
The progressions in BX. 829 are also marked from a to EXAMPLE 830 Chopin: Mazurka, 0p. 6, No. 1 3/..___\\_

extent to which they characterize the melodic minor mode. >

The progression
The progressions marked a, b, and c are characteristic. bass (third
marked d is rare -- it appears mainly in connection with
the tonicalization of In the above passage, for instance (Ex. 830), the tone E in' the
plays a role in the tonicalization of lllw(A ma-
bar) is not a directional tone. It
altered tones in general. and of to A (instead of to D and then to Cll
‘ It must be stressed that the correct melodic treatment of jor). for which reason it progresses
directional tones in particular. is a prerequisite of tonal clan'ty. Incorrect melodic progressions
may blur the tonality entirely.
326 HARMONY IN ITS SYSTBIIC AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL ASPECTS MELODIC MINOR SCALE 327

23.3.5.2.14 yum", EXAMPLE 889

This chord creates a specrfi'c problem: the seventh must descend (being a
seventh) but on the other hand it must ascend (being a directional tone). A
passive resolution (leaving the seventh in place and resolving it later as a direc-
tional tone) is not feasible in this case. since the root of the chord as well con-
stitutes a directional tone which requires resolution. Leaving the seventh in
place and resolving the root results in a chord which contains a raised sixth
tone and a natural stx‘th tone — a chord not within the range of the chords
with which we are dealing at present (Exs. 867-a.b).
23.3.6 Modulation Using the Melodic Minor Scale

The melodic minor scale makes possible some very interesting and varied
EXAMPLE 887
modulations. Let us take, for example, modulations by means of a common
chord, from C major to D minor. While the use of D harmonic minor places
one common chord at our disposal (11:1), the use of D melodic minor avail's
us of seven such chords:
C major D melodic minor
l v111h
11 I
[[1 n,“
The only resolution feasible (theorectically) is the Simultaneous resolution
IV In,h
V IV.

II
of both directional tones. while ignoring the resolution of the seventh as a sev-
enth (BX. 868).
VI V:
VII v1n1
The fixation of a common chord which includes a directional tone requires
EXAMPLE 888 that certain factors 7—- which do not exist in connection with chords without
directional tones — be taken into consideration. Any doubling of a directional
tone must be avoided and its predetermined melodic continuation must be
considered. Accordingly, it must be decided in which voice the directional
tone should appear (on the basis of the general melodic tendencies of the
Voices).
As an example of a common chord of C major and D melodic minor, let us
take the chord C-E-G (I =V11“). The root is not doubled in this chord, since it
constitutes a directional tone in the target key. The possible doublings then are
either the third or the fifth. Before deciding on one of these. we ought to
23.3.5.2.15 VII}: decide which chord will follow the common chord.
[n this chord it is. the leading tone which must be resolved first. The In order to establish that the chord C-E-G is a common chord, we must put
seventh must temam' in place, to be resolved later as a directional tone after it a chord which includes at least one tone which does not appear in C
(Ex. 869). major. The possibili'h'a (in the case of D mm'or) are B5 and/ or Cll. Since the