giant arpeggios

Is it possible to create one giant arpeggio that includes all of the pitches of equal temper? And will this arpeggio perfectly close back upon it's starting point? And if so, why would we want to do this anyway...?

Well, in a word ... perspective. It's ideas such as this "giant arpeggio" that helps us to get our arms firmly locked around a concept, so that there is potentially a place for everything and that everything potentially has it's place... at least in theory. For in reality, it's each of our own artistic responsibility to combine things in new, cool and innovative ways.

So, how do we create a giant arpeggio? Well, perhaps the most common arpeggios we love are the one's built in major and minor 3rd's yes? The same way we create our various triads and colortone extensions? Exactly. So at least initially, two basic possibilities then? Yep. I've thought about this a bit and think that it's easier to see the evolution of tonal centers / keys by using the minor 3rd then major 3rd approach. In this way the tonal evolution goes from minor Dorian to major Lydian using the same root ... then moving up by half step and repeating the cycle. Here are the pitches. Example1.

So ... see how C Dorian minor evolves into C Lydian major using the minor 3rd / major 3rd interval sequence? The Lydian arpeggio is "topped off" with the #15th, a half step above the root. This as it turns out becomes the root of the next Dorian group. Here is the sound or evolution of the above two groups. Dorian into Lydian. Example 1a.

Pretty exciting huh? Yep ... it's a real hum dinger of a lick. Here are the rest of the key centers available within equal temper following the same Dorian / Lydian format.

So ... back where we started eh? So a "closed loop" of pitches yes? So ... what do it mean? Well ... I'm really not quite sure at the present, just that this loop exists within equal temper. So just like all of the scales we love, which can close upon their starting pitch if their formula is completed, so does the "giant arpeggio" that lives within equal temper.

Review. So we started in C Dorian minor, which evolved to C Lydian, which is major sounding. C Lydian evolved into C# Dorian minor which became C# / Db Lydian major. We simply repeated this cycle until all of the 12 Dorian minor and Lydian major keys we included. We ended up where we started, thus closing the loop. Cool huh?

I've been involved with the music for 25 some odd years and I love music theory. I've a good collection of theory texts and none of them mention this magical cycle of pitches. The odd thing is, most cats won't even talk about it ... It's kinda weird. The whole cycle is probably just coincidental, whatever. Maybe in the future ... Be kinda nice if a new way of creating music came out of this that encouraged world peace eh? Now that would be cool!

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mohandas K. Ghandi