----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Probert" <probertm / NOSPAM_acm.org.web-hosting.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ruby
To: "ruby-talk ML" <ruby-talk / ruby-lang.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 9:59 AM
Subject: OT: 12 tones


> I am not sure that I agree with this, Hal.  
> 
> For most of the history of Western Music, it used
> scales other than 12-tones.  It was pentatonic or
> modal (7 tone).  You could argue that not until the 20th C
> with Arnold Schoenberg and his theory that each tone
> had equal importance, that we got to 12 tones.  
> 
> As for other cultures, the Indian system is modal
> based on a 7 tone scale (see 
> http://www.chandrakantha.com/articles/scales.html).
> Chinese music appears to be based on 5 or 7 tone
> scales.
> 
> If this means anything, then I would guess that 
> 5 or 7 tones is about right .. ;-)

Thanks for that correction. My knowledge of
music theory is slight.

Hal