Re: [Harp-L] Spiral (Circular Tuned) Harps

[Eugene Ryan <ryan.eugene@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Emily (hey Gary and others too!)

Thanks for your fascinating explanation.  I'm always interested in knowing
tunes that demonstrate particular mode usage and your post was very
informative.  I don't know much about Appalachian music - they were great
examples.

We have similar things in Irish music but when I looked at a few of the
particular Irish tunes, they appeared to be in G to start with but resolve
to D major using a C# leading tone, not really exhibiting a Lydian feel.
 There are may be some real Lydian tunes in Irish music but I'll have to
find them - it seems to be more common in Scandinavian folk music.  There
may be similar historical reasons for the C and C# in those particular
Irish tunes (as opposed in the minor tunes switching between Dorian and
Aeolian) but I don't want to speculate on the origin of individual tunes
because the history is hard to trace (and I'm not a musicologist).

Thanks!
Eugene