MOS scale: Difference between revisions

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The [[5L 2s|diatonic scale]] is a classic example of an MOS scale. It has 7 steps: 5 large ones (whole tones) and 2 small ones (diatonic semitones). As a shorthand, the large step is denoted with 'L' and the small step with 's', so the diatonic scale may be abbreviated [[5L 2s]]. Writing out the pattern of the major mode, we get LLsLLLs. The other modes are rotations of this pattern (e.g. LsLLsLL is the minor mode.) The melodic minor scale, which is not a mode of the diatonic scale, (LsLLLLs) is not a MOS since it has three kinds of fifths: perfect, diminished, and augmented, violating the maximum variety 2 condition above.

~~In general, specifying~~ a number of large steps ~~and small steps in a MOS scale is enough to uniquely identify the scale~~. (This is most evident through the "mode of a Christoffel word" definition above.)

There is exactly one MOS with a given number of small and large steps per [[equave]]. (This is most evident through the "mode of a Christoffel word" definition above.)

== History and terminology ==

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 The [[5L 2s|diatonic scale]] is a classic example of an MOS scale. It has 7 steps: 5 large ones (whole tones) and 2 small ones (diatonic semitones). As a shorthand, the large step is denoted with 'L' and the small step with 's', so the diatonic scale may be abbreviated [[5L&nbsp;2s]]. Writing out the pattern of the major mode, we get LLsLLLs. The other modes are rotations of this pattern (e.g. LsLLsLL is the minor mode.) The melodic minor scale, which is not a mode of the diatonic scale, (LsLLLLs) is not a MOS since it has three kinds of fifths: perfect, diminished, and augmented, violating the maximum variety 2 condition above.
-In general, specifying a number of large steps and small steps in a MOS scale is enough to uniquely identify the scale. (This is most evident through the "mode of a Christoffel word" definition above.)
+There is exactly one MOS with a given number of small and large steps per [[equave]]. (This is most evident through the "mode of a Christoffel word" definition above.)
 == History and terminology ==