8 Tone Spanish Scale
The 8 Tone Spanish Scale is said to have an exotic, hypnotic, festive quality and is commonly used in flamenco, rock, and fusion jazz styles of music. This mode is also called:
DescriptionDuring the early years of Spain's existence, different cultures impacted each other on every level and and contributed significantly to the history of Spanish music. Early Romans brought along ideas and music of Greece, the Visigoths saw the flourishing of sacred music and chants stemming from the Church, and the culture incubated by the Moors allowed Jewish, Christian, and Moorish music to develop. Within Spain regional music was on the rise, but a 750 year span of time called the reconquista (1249 - 1799), Spanish musical development came to a halt as the government declared a prohibition of music to maintain secular control over the people of Spain. Spanish music continued to evolve with the during the Renaissance period. Instrumental music emerged. With the influence of Arabic music came the development of the Spanish guitar. After the end of the reconquista of the 16th century, the polyphonic singing style, featuring complementing voices, developed through contact with Spain's northern neighbors France and Flanders. As mobility throughout the European continent improved, musicians began travelling from country to country within Rome. The nature of Spanish music changed as traveling musicians were inspired by local ideas, customs, and styles of cultures that they encountered. This period of time created prolific classical composers like Tomás Luis de Victoria and Francisco Guerrero. A form Spanish music called the Zarzuela (a light, Spanish opera) was developed during this period of time and to this day continues to be an active musical tradition. As classical music within the region was on the decline, Spanish folk music saw a surge of popularity throughout various regions of Spain. The end of the Spanish Civil War (1820-1823) was marked by a repressive government established by the dictator Francisco Franco that endured for 50 years. Franco was intent on creating a uniform and nationalist country, and banned everything pertaining to regional cultures. Regional music, literature, and languages were banned, books were burned, and regional traditions were berated. Yet Spain's wide range of folk music that developed over the past centuries didn't disappear, but its practice was kept hidden from the watchful eyes of Franco's government. The 8 Tone Spanish Scale rose from the traditional folk music of Spain. Its origin cannot be pinpointed to an exact composer or time, but its use can be found in traditional Zarzuelas. The 8 Tone Spanish Scale can also be heard in compositions by the prolific Spanish classical guitarist Fernando Sor (1778 - 1839). The body of work created by Sor are staples of graduate and undergraduate study of classical guitar. |