In a Charles Schultz Peanuts comic Schroeder takes time off from his piano practice to teach Snoopy a bit of music theory.
Standing in front of a blackboard, Schroeder gestures with a pointer to a music symbol and says, “This is a Treble Clef.”
He shifts his pointer to another symbol and states, “This is an ampersand.”
“They’re quite similar,” he continues. Then in a hushed tone he explains, “Actually ... they hate each other.”
A rivalry amongst symbols? Humorous indeed, but not entirely a laughing matter!
Such contention exists right at the foundation of music theory, and at the core of music notation. It’s the friction between A and C. It's the type of dissonance rarely discussed in music. It's the ceaseless, grinding rub that chaffs the minds of new music students, the disharmony that sorely complicates the lives of music teachers because they must explain the matters and peculiarities of music language. It's the perpetual vying between A and C for recognition as “Alpha Musicus.”
In the various walks of life the letters A and C coexist peacefully, for one simple reason.
In alphabetical ordering A is the logical and accepted starting point. A always goes first, followed by B and then C.
“A” has significant clout in this matter. Over millennia humankind has alphabetized trillions of objects: chapters, sections, books, charts, indexes, lists, street names, isles and seats. With deference these centuries of alphabetical precedence, C always defers to A. Ordering starts with A and you go from there. C follows behind A by two of notches, ticks, rows, columns, tabs, sections, parts, exhibits, hierarchies, folders, volumes, ... no one argues with that. It's the way things are. This convention is universally accepted throughout literature and western languages.
The issue of field is practically irrelevant: A and C know their place in science, biology, business, architecture ...
The sole exception is the field of music, where C somehow managed to pull something over on A ... and stole the throne.
During recent centuries the musical world somehow came to center itself around C. How did this come to be? And why?
Explaining C’s alpha status in music would require a review of countless historical events, decisions, linguistic wrangling, and 'simplifications' that continue to haunt like a forgotten boomerang. Such a discussion is outside the scope of this article. Regarless of historica causes and forces, the facts are clear: the letter C and the C scale somehow attained recognition as “Alpha Musicus.”
In music, A really has very little going for it. Nothing much to write home about:
- There's A440
- In many countries orchestras tune to A 440, if not, they tune to an A near 440.
- Oh, and it's much easier to find an A tuning fork than a C fork.
These crumbs are small consolation for A. In stark contrast, there are many ways that musicians accept and revere C as the predominant and preeminant letter in music.
In musical pedantry and the halls of scholarly thinking C holds forth, reigning sovereign throughout the prose of music pedagogy. C is the de facto “Do” of Do re mi. C rules with a heavy hand within the thick tomes of theory, and it reigns above all keys enthroned atop the Cycle of Fifths. It is revered by all musically indoctrinated.
The traditional Cycle of 5ths
This situation raises many questions.
Is this madness acceptable? Should C be the key with no sharps or flats? Should C equal Do? Why not A? Shouldn't the musical alphabet start at A? How could a letter of lower credential mount a credible challenge and successful coup over A? Who let this happen? Who encouraged, designed ... or initially approved? Shall we publish a list of the culprits for all to see and demand a day for them in stocks in the public square? Shall we pejoratively refer those who swallowed the C-centric view of the musical universe as spineless C-creatures? And finally, is there anything we can do about this situation? Is the any point in pursuing rectification? Would such an endeavor prove as futile as Dvorak vs. QWERTY keyboards, BetaMax vs. VHS , Esperanto vs. all other languages?
Before proposing any tonality shaking changes, let’s clearly examine the prevailing C-centric view of music.
There exist five undeniable conventions that give C the upper hand over A.
1) C is the simplest scale to notate and to read. For arbitrary historical reasons, the C major scale has no sharps or flats. Only the C scale is pure, unblemished, unfettered and self sufficient, without need of chromatics (sharps or flats) in its key signature.* This single fact that bears enormous weight in C’s sway over A.
C, the one-and-only unrumpled scale, provides the "standard candle" for defining all other musical structures in field of music theory ... but in short order, because of another huge oddity — that music assigns seven symbols to identify twelve objects, thereby created a uneven numbering system — music theory tangles terribly, nearly strangling itself by its own gangly throat.
2) C is typically the simplest scale to play. On most instruments it follows an uncomplicated fingering.** This fact is most evident on piano. Start on a C key, then proceed up the white keys to the next C. The major scale doesn’t get simpler than that. Combine this physical simplicity with the C scale’s notational simplicity, and you get the compelling reasons why piano instructors teach their students the C major scale first.
For transposing instruments, like an Eb tenor saxophone, the simplest major scale fingering is notated as a C scale, even though it produces the "concert" sound of Eb.
3) C is usually considered the initial letter of the music alphabet. When teachers explain Do, Re, mi, their alphabetical examples use the C scale: C D E F G A B … not A B C# D E F# G#. Again this is because the C scale has no sharps or flats. As mentioned, the piano bears the closest natural relationship to music theory, and thus the C scale became the backbone of music theory.
4) Octave changes occur at C, not A. There are many types of "octave numbering" systems for depicting octave designations, pitches within the range of octaves: the Helmholtz Pitch Notation System, the Alternate Helmholtz System (the Scientific pitch notation ...) or the MIDI standard provide the simplest approach. In Scientific pitch notation Middle C is written C4. The A below middle C in notated A3! This is because octaves are not numbered from A to A, but rather from C to C. A 440 is notated A4 — it is six notes above C4 (middle C).
5) C sits enthroned atop the Cycle of Fifths (as shown above. The Cycle of Fifths is music theory’s organizational magnum opus: it's music’s main theoretical and relational chart, and it centers around C! All other keys assemble around her. The key of A sits begrudgingly, three entire notches to the right of C.
Note: The Cycle of Fifths is often referred to as the Cycle of Fourths. This name is especially logical in Jazz, where chords often progress in 4ths toward the tonic.
The overall sway to C bucks alphbetical traditions and customs we implicitly accept and makes no alpha-logical sense. It tosses aside normal ordering conventions. It well befuddles those newly acquainted with music. It’s tantamount to the number 3 being the first number in math and counting ... or saying that we always count the seven notes of a scale starting from 3! If musicians so fully honor C as the center of music, then perhaps the world’s greatest music halls should pay homage by relabeling their seating ilses starting at C. Such a tribute would be small but fitting! And it might confuse concert goers as much a C confuses young musicians.
It’s a wonder that A doesn’t just pack up and walk off. No doubt, skulking and plotting, like Richard III, fueled by a feeling of entitlement and envy, A obsessively covets a seat on the throne atop of the Cycle of Fifths, and lusts to revel in all the due musical glory t'would follow. As with Richard, we often sympathize, wishing “if there only was a way.”
In the following articles I’ll illustrate how A could successfully mount a coup ... or at easily attain detente and reconciliation. Each article shows a quick and viable solution for coronating A and instating her to her rightful postition at the top of the Cycle of 5ths. These solutions are so simple, I’d be surprised if no one’s previously proposed them.
To support and clarify, I’ll present a new Cycle of Fifths for each solution, like the A-based Cycle of 5ths shown here.
An illustration of an
A-based Cycle of Fifths
Shocking, this cycle, to anyone who embraces the norm. Please though, fearlessly raise the veil and peer down the path less taken. See how an A-based Cycle of 5ths is possible
... and why it makes sense!
You can sit with that “clef hanger" or check for solutions in the following articles:
Solution 1 | Solution 2 | Solution 3
Author's note: Music works fine as it is. This series of articles was written for fun, and to give you an opportunity to shift our perspectives, imagine what might have been, and imagine what could be. I have no real intention of inspiring a musical insurrection. That would prove as difficult as trying to get the United States to drop the British weights and measures and adopt the metric system ... now if I were to suggest any real change ... well, how about that metric system?
