Pastor's Corner - April 5th, 2019
I’ve always been musical.
I have played instruments over the years, sang, and have at least a basic understanding of the fundamentals of music, but I always had so many questions about the mechanics, “Why that chord in that place”, “Why does that melody work?”, “What is it about that string of notes that makes it so haunting?”
Over the years, I learned to read music and play music, but I never really understood music beyond that. So, before our trip to Oklahoma, I checked out, “Music Theory for Dummies” from the Salem Public Library. My pride in check, I began to flip through the pages as I had opportunity on the trip.
In it I learned a great deal about syncopation, intervals, chord progressions, and key signatures.
However, one of the most fascinating things that I learned in the book was about the Circle of 5ths.
The Circle of 5ths was originally put together as a way to geometrically organize the various keys and their relationships to one another. However, in the process of doing that – it also organized the keys in such a way that if you can identify the tonic of your key signature (the starting note of the scale in your key), then a cursory knowledge of the circle of fifths can help you immediately identify the fifth and fourth. The Key of C major for example, your tonic is C, your 5th is G, and your 4th is F.
If you wanted to immediately construct a catchy tune to a song – the pattern of I, IV, V, I tends to be a pattern that is pleasant to the ears, so playing a C, F, G, and resolving that progression with another C gives you a decently put together, but predictable, chord progression.
Where the Circle of Fifths also shines, is that it helps you identify how many sharps or flats are present in a various key. As it moves down to the right of the circle from the key of C to G to D to A to E to B to F#, the number of sharps increase. There are none in the key of C, 1 in the key of G, 2 in the key of D, 3 in the key of A, 4 in the key of E, 5 in the key of B, and 6 in the Key of F#. In fact, the circle of fifths even helps you know WHICH notes are supposed to be sharped. They follow a pattern: F, C, G, D, A, E, B, they always follow this order. So, the Key of D – has two sharps. F and C. The Key of E has 4 – F, C, G, and D…
Where am I going with all of this?
As any of you know, when playing music in a certain key, a missed sharp, flat or natural note can really stand out. It just doesn’t sound right, it’s off.
The Circle of Fifths represents a defining of the pattern to the music that we experience. It defines to an extent what sounds right– because the “rules” of music are the rules. When those rules are broken, (Cough, Jazz…) it can be pleasant to the ears, or unpleasant, depending on how badly they are broken.
The Circle of Fifths describes a unity and relationship of notes to one another, that allows for the development of harmony. Without the defining pattern, we are unable to understand what harmonizes or not.
Psalm 133 describes a unity and harmony, of brethren together.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.
In our spiritual lives, the pattern of life that Christ lived and taught gives us an understanding of what harmonizes with the way of God. When we play notes that don’t fit, they don’t harmonize – they stand out from the pattern that is established, and it is noticeable, just like missing that F# in the Key of G stands out.
This way of life takes practice, and as we enter into this Passover season, let us study closer the pattern that has been provided for us, see how these notes relate to one another and further continue our lessons in harmony and unity.