Nice Exercise

[Les Fret]

Fourths on the bass and guitar but musically the harmony moves in descending fifths. Only in the world of bass&guitar they call it the cycle of fourths but in the real world(!) of music it is called the cycle of fifths.

I guess calling it the cycle of fourths is a marketing strategy, I dunno but this will be an endless debate among stringed players.

A fifth up is the same as a fourth down.

 

[Groove Master]

A fifth up is the same as a fourth down.

Of course !!


Just for the experience one that doubt about the cycle of fifths should play the 5 descending notes of the major scale and just keep going with the same tetrachord. Then do the opposite and play the first four notes of the major scale and keep going. Then figure out which one sounds more natural.

It is based on the Newton's law: Everything that goes up will go down eventually ;-)

 

[Les Fret]

Of course !!

That's why it doesn't matter if you call it circle of fifths or circle of fourths, although circle of fifths is the more common name.

 

[SteveCS]

...
although circle of fifths is the more common name.

I would hazard a guess that the main reason for that is folks learn the sharp keys - which progress in 5ths, first. After C, were you (or was anyone) taught G or F? The "last note of the second tetrachord is raised to the leading tone" is a lot easier for kids to remember (because it can be easily constructed from first principles) than the "last flat is the subdominant of the new key". My point being it has IMHO, little to do with which sounds more 'natural'.

 

[Groove Master]

I would hazard a guess that the main reason for that is folks learn the sharp keys - which progress in 5ths, first. After C, were you (or was anyone) taught G or F? The "last note of the second tetrachord is raised to the leading tone" is a lot easier for kids to remember (because it can be easily constructed from first principles) than the "last flat is the subdominant of the new key". My point being it has IMHO, little to do with which sounds more 'natural'.

Hey Steve,

We both know it means the same thing. The cycle of fourths is the same thing as the cycle of fifths backwards.

As a bass player I hear the cycle of fifths as 5 descending notes instead of 4 ascending notes. Try it for yourself. But yes we are talking about the same thing. To my ears I hear a better resolving motion going down then going up with the V to I movement.

Take care,

GM

 

[SteveCS]

Hey Steve,

We both know it means the same thing. The cycle of fourths is the same thing as the cycle of fifths backwards.

As a bass player I hear the cycle of fifths as 5 descending notes instead of 4 ascending notes. Try it for yourself. But yes we are talking about the same thing. To my ears I hear a better resolving motion going down then going up with the V to I movement.

Take care,

GM