ORIGIN AND NATURE OF MINOR 201 



nant in this instance assumes the form of a minor con- 

 sonance, the index of which is v. The data to be 

 observed in this connection are first, that F is a pure 

 diatonic harmony since all its components are dia- 

 tonics; next, that V arises spontaneously in one voice; 

 next, that the minor dominant F is a chromatic har- 

 mony owing to its large third si, which is a chromatic. 

 Presently we shall see that the diatonic minor domi- 

 nant (y) asserts itself in one voice as a regnant har- 

 mony. Further observations are these : The asterisks 

 in our examples show a series of two bytones, the first 

 resolving into the second, the second resolving into a 

 repose-tone of the regnant /. Bytones which resolve 

 into the regnant harmony are classed as bytones of 

 the first degree: bytones of the second degree resolve 

 into those of the first degree. We shall meet with 

 bytones of the third degree which resolve into those 

 of the second. In the descending tetrachord from 

 la 1 down to mi s we recognize the upper half of the 

 descending melodic minor scale as follows : — 



i 



1 



3 3 5 



I 



la sol fa mi re do ti la 



/ 



All the above tones are dia tonics, yet the scale- 

 melody is not diatonic. Why not ? Simply because 

 all the harmonies are not diatonic. To be diatonic all 

 the components of a harmony must be dia tonics. This 

 is the case with all the tones of the first of the above 

 two tetrachords, which is pure diatonic minor. Not so 



