Melody, not harmony, shapes musical scales worldwide
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Researchers modelled the evolution of 1,314 musical scales from 96 countries and found that melody, not harmony, primarily dictates their structure.
The study challenges a long-held belief dating back to antiquity that harmony is the fundamental basis of musical scales. Instead, the analysis indicates a nearly universal preference for small intervals, steps of one to three semitones, within melodies drives scale construction.
The team’s Melody model successfully predicted patterns found in independent datasets of melodies, singing, and how humans perceive sound. In contrast, a Harmony model showed limited influence on scales actually used in musical performance. While harmony did exhibit a slight preference for intervals of fourths, fifths, and octaves, this effect was largely confined to scales derived from music theory rather than those observed in practice.
This research suggests that the emphasis on harmony as the foundation of music may stem from a historical focus on theoretical scales rather than the scales found in performed music. The findings imply that musical structure arises primarily from the constraints of creating singable and memorable melodies. Further investigation could explore how cultural factors interact with these melodic constraints to create the diverse range of musical traditions around the world.
