Dear Simon,

Yes, it all depends on why it was called the crònan, doesn't it? Was
it for its modal role or merely after the resonance of c and G on the
instrument. One point that stands against the former is that the
string nomenclature, shifted up a fourth ignores f just as it ignores c
when moved down. However, for the moment at least, another point can
be made to stand against the modal argument as far as I'm concerned.

For your interest, I'll put down the model I've been using for a while
to help me gauge the relationship between the modes of the waulking
songs and the harp. (This isn't a suggested historical model yet, just
a handy schematic to help me contrast tunes). I'll present it as per
sisters at c. G sisters might be evidence of a transposition of the
modal system for lower voices such as Carolan's. This would require
the use of tèad an leithghléis.

-F set (cumha peathar Ruaidhri)

aaa
gg

ee
dd
cc
bb
aa
g

e
d
c

-B set (is eagal leam am bàs, port Gordon)

aaa
gg
ff
ee
dd
cc

aa
g
f
e
d
c

In the minus B set, I'm setting authentic and plagal octaves as follows.

plagal D at dd-d
plagal C at cc-c
authentic A at dd-d
authentic G at cc-c

In the minus F set, I'm placing them as follows.

authentic D at dd-d
authentic C at cc-c
plagal A at ee-e
plagal G at dd-d

There are particular theoretical benefits to this system which I like.
The first benefit is when we apply heptatonic tunes to the -B system
using a Bb. The strong F tonality remains available in the -B system
but the application of the Bb to a tune otherwise ending on F is seen
clearly as a transpositional device allowing a heptatonic melody on F
that would otherwise appear with a C final on an all-natural gamut.

So the model permits the possibility that heptatonic tunes arrive in
the Gaelic harp repertoire after an era of gapped music and after any
period in European music when a heptatonic F mode would have been
popular, meaning that there was possibly never an all natural
heptatonic F mode in use (at least according to any possible rules) in
Gaelic harp music.

A number of tunes indicate the possible use of an f# pitch within the
system and I'm presently trying to build up evidence that relates this
to the -F set, perhaps as a later innovation facilitating certain
ranges of G mode and D mode. I notice that some waulking songs which
have lyric instead of vocable choruses might use this pitch.

The second benefit is that it would allow theoretical explanation or
even justification for the common use of a melodic gap at c for many
tunes and also the lack of name for a c string in one sharp tuning.

According to what I've analysed so far, the pitch aa appears as a very
prominent reciting tone bearing the same position as the Greek mese,
along with the pitch e. This is nice because it avoids having B as the
major reciting tone within the system. The notes A and E form a nice
tetrachord with the crònan notes C and G.

The comhlaí, féola and guaillí string names get to stay linked to
octave species based around the pitches of those strings when linked to
sisters at c, and so, unless a Bb is applied to create heptatonic
melody, an FF would not be necessary as a final in the harp bass.

The system would bear a similarity to the Gregorian in this regard: in
many cases there would be certain difficulty in deciding which key a
lot of plagal F and plagal G tunes would be in.

I'd reiterate that this is just a handy model I'm using for practical
reasons at the moment although it is appealing. I'm beginning to see
Bunting's cc# retuning as a shortcut to save retuning all the F#s on
the harp from leithghléis to Fs for téad leagaidh tuning in order to
play a Carolan D mode tune on E. A C# may not have been necessary in
the bass in that case.

The fuígheall nomenclature here would also make sense. Beag and mór
are the equivalents of the Latin words minor and major, and Bb is a
minor seventh from C while F# is a major seventh from G.

All of this might suggest that the term crònan descends from a time
which precedes the use on the Gaelic harp of heptatonic music which
specifically employs accidentals, Bb in particular. That might make it
very old indeed. Unfortunately, we lack the evidence for the crònan
positions with sisters at c. Boo hoo.

Beannachdan,



Alasdair




--- In clairseach@..., Simon Chadwick <simon@...> wrote:
>
> Thankyou Alasdair, point taken. Also for comhluighe c and Bb. Cronan
> F, interesting but not convinced. I wonder how latin terminology
> (itself a minefield) rubbed up against Gaelic in medieval times -
> like Giraldus and his comments. Simon
>