ORIGIN AND NATURE OF MINOR 227 



evident when we subject the foundation of the theory 

 to the test of harmonic self-reports in one voice, a test 

 which we are now prepared to apply having just 

 summed up the original harmonic percepts of homo- 

 phonic melody and having finished our explanations 

 of the origins both of major and minor. The theory 

 in question is based on acoustics, and postulates that 

 the minor chord springs from a descending acoustic 

 series of undertones generated by a root on the top 

 just as the major chord springs from the ascending 

 acoustic series of overtones generated by a root at the 

 bottom, that the minor chord is the exact inverse of 

 the major chord in that the relative intervals and 

 ratios of vibration in both acoustic series are identical, 

 as shown below by the familiar acoustic numbers 

 1;2;3;4;5;6;8;. Thus at 6) the minor chord is as 

 4; 5; 6; 8; going down, and the major is the same 

 going up. In short, minor is inverted major. 



h) 



a) 



Minor 

 Series 



Major 

 Series 



5^!f^^3^ 



i= 



It is assumed that C is the root of both the major 

 and minor triads at 6). In other words, the sup- 

 posed C-minor triad hangs suspended from its aerial 

 root C just as the C-major triad rests upon its ground- 

 root C. The inverted acoustic series forming the 

 above minor triad is a purely arbitrary conception, 



