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Tonal Centre: Gravitational Force and the Tonic Note

Here’s another way of looking at the way the tones of the major scale gravitate towards the tonal centre (Figure 21):

FIGURE 21: Interval Dynamics: “Gravitational Force” of the Tonic Note

Figure 21 illustrates the appropriateness of the term “diatonic.” All the notes of this type of scale ultimately relate to each other diatonically—“through” or “by” the “tonic” note, which functions as a gravitational force.

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