ORIGIN AND NATURE OF MINOR 



203 



This is a "pure minor melody, each tone reports a 

 diatonic harmony, each harmony is a minor conso- 

 nance. In the first measure the by tone /a reports itself 

 3 of IV, in the second measure sol reports itself s of F, 

 in the third measure both bytones make the same re- 

 ports. Thus through sol the minor dominant assumes 

 the form of a minor consonance. Thanks to self- 

 asserting harmony in one voice we are able to aflSrm 

 that there is such a thing as "pure diatonic minor which 

 is the perfect counterpart of jmre diatonic major. The 

 subject of pure minor melodies will again be reverted 

 to when we shall study sol in other relations. 



Does melody ever ascend on the upper half of the 

 descending melodic minor scale ? Yes, there are many 

 examples, especially in modern music. We cite one 

 from Liszt, Rhapsody II. 



Si; 



etc. 



m^ 



mi fa sol 



The ascending upper half or tetrachord of the 

 melodic minor scale has been derived through imita- 

 tion from the same tetrachord of the major scale, thus 

 introducing another chromatic, namely, fi (f jlf in A 

 minor) as follows: — 



Major 



