MOS scale: Difference between revisions

Line 115:

The term ''MOS'', and the method of scale construction it entails, were invented by [[Erv Wilson]] in 1975. His original paper is archived on Anaphoria.com here: [https://anaphoria.com/mos.pdf ''Moments of Symmetry'']. There is also an introduction by [[Kraig Grady]] here: [https://anaphoria.com/wilsonintroMOS.html ''Introduction to Erv Wilson's Moments of Symmetry''].

Sometimes, scales are defined with respect to a period and an additional [[equivalence interval]], the interval at which pitch classes repeat. MOSes in which the equivalence interval is a multiple of the period, and in which there is more than one period per equivalence interval, are sometimes called '''Multi-MOSes'''. MOSes in which the equivalence interval is equal to the period are sometimes called '''Strict MOSes'''. MOSes in which the equivalence interval and period are simply disjunct, with no rational relationship between them, are simply MOS and have no additional distinguishing label.

Sometimes, scales are defined with respect to a period and an additional [[equivalence interval]], the interval at which pitch classes repeat. MOSes in which the equivalence interval is a multiple of the period, and in which there is more than one period per equivalence interval, are sometimes called '''Multi-MOSes'''. For example, a MOS with a half-octave period is called a '''2mos''', with a 1/3-octave period a '''3mos''', and so on. MOSes in which the equivalence interval is equal to the period are sometimes called '''Strict MOSes'''. MOSes in which the equivalence interval and period are simply disjunct, with no rational relationship between them, are simply MOS and have no additional distinguishing label.

With a few notable exceptions, Wilson generally focused his attention on MOS with period equal to the equivalence interval. Hence, some people prefer to use the term [[Distributional evenness|distributionally even scale]], with acronym DE, for the more general class of scales which are MOS with respect to other intervals. MOS/DE scales are also sometimes known as ''well-formed scales'', the term used in the 1989 paper by Norman Carey and David Clampitt<ref>Norman Carey and David Clampitt. "Aspects of Well-Formed Scales", ''Music Theory Spectrum'', Vol. 11, No. 2 (Autumn, 1989), pp. 187-206.</ref>. A great deal of work has been done in academic circles extending these ideas. The idea of MOS also includes secondary or bi-level MOS scales which are actually the inspiration of Wilson's concept. They are in a sense the MOS of MOS patterns. This is used to explain the [[Pentatonic|pentatonics]] used in traditional [[Japanese music]] (e.g. A B C E F A), where the 5-tone cycles are derived from a 7-tone MOS, which are not found in the concept of DE.

@@ Line 115: / Line 115: @@
 The term ''MOS'', and the method of scale construction it entails, were invented by [[Erv Wilson]] in 1975. His original paper is archived on Anaphoria.com here: [https://anaphoria.com/mos.pdf ''Moments of Symmetry'']. There is also an introduction by [[Kraig Grady]] here: [https://anaphoria.com/wilsonintroMOS.html ''Introduction to Erv Wilson's Moments of Symmetry''].
-Sometimes, scales are defined with respect to a period and an additional [[equivalence interval]], the interval at which pitch classes repeat. MOSes in which the equivalence interval is a multiple of the period, and in which there is more than one period per equivalence interval, are sometimes called '''Multi-MOSes'''. MOSes in which the equivalence interval is equal to the period are sometimes called '''Strict MOSes'''. MOSes in which the equivalence interval and period are simply disjunct, with no rational relationship between them, are simply MOS and have no additional distinguishing label.
+Sometimes, scales are defined with respect to a period and an additional [[equivalence interval]], the interval at which pitch classes repeat. MOSes in which the equivalence interval is a multiple of the period, and in which there is more than one period per equivalence interval, are sometimes called '''Multi-MOSes'''. For example, a MOS with a half-octave period is called a '''2mos''', with a 1/3-octave period a '''3mos''', and so on. MOSes in which the equivalence interval is equal to the period are sometimes called '''Strict MOSes'''. MOSes in which the equivalence interval and period are simply disjunct, with no rational relationship between them, are simply MOS and have no additional distinguishing label.
 With a few notable exceptions, Wilson generally focused his attention on MOS with period equal to the equivalence interval. Hence, some people prefer to use the term [[Distributional evenness|distributionally even scale]], with acronym DE, for the more general class of scales which are MOS with respect to other intervals. MOS/DE scales are also sometimes known as ''well-formed scales'', the term used in the 1989 paper by Norman Carey and David Clampitt<ref>Norman Carey and David Clampitt. "Aspects of Well-Formed Scales", ''Music Theory Spectrum'', Vol. 11, No. 2 (Autumn, 1989), pp. 187-206.</ref>. A great deal of work has been done in academic circles extending these ideas. The idea of MOS also includes secondary or bi-level MOS scales which are actually the inspiration of Wilson's concept. They are in a sense the MOS of MOS patterns. This is used to explain the [[Pentatonic|pentatonics]] used in traditional [[Japanese music]] (e.g. A B C E F A), where the 5-tone cycles are derived from a 7-tone MOS, which are not found in the concept of DE.