ORIGIN AND NATURE OF MINOR 181 



ginally derived from rhythm and first intoned by 

 melody in the prototype major mode. Here we note 

 in passing that imitation is not alone a principle of 

 music-structure as demonstrated in round-song, anti- 

 phonal chant, sequence, canon and fugue, but, what 

 is even more important, imitation is a principle of 

 harmonic genesis closely allied to that of potential 

 harmony, the subject of a later chapter. Again re- 

 ferring to our example we note that do is the origi- 

 nal major Tonic, that c^o-major is the original major 

 mode; next, that la is the original minor Tonic, that 

 Za-minor is the original minor mode and corresponds 

 with what is known as relative minor. The almost 

 universal adoption of relative minor as the true minor 

 amounts to a tacit acknowledgment of the priority 

 of major, and presents but one of thousands of cases 

 in which our great thinkers draw their conclusions 

 from facts reported by common feeling and perception. 

 In all books on music, be they historic, biographical, 

 aesthetic, theoretic or didactic, we everywhere find 

 the direct appeal to music-feeling for every hidden 

 and ultimate truth. It is safe to say that every truth 

 that came to stay in the books came by way and 

 sanction of music-feeling. The conflict between an 

 abstract theory and concrete feeling waxes strong in 

 every case where the two are irreconcilable owing to 

 the unconquerable protest and revolt of music-feeling. 

 One of a number of cases in point is the Zarlino- 

 Riemann theory of pendant minor with harmonic 

 roots in air upon which we will later on present the 

 common harmonic self-reports of one voice or melody. 

 The concept of minor as la minor (relative minor) 



