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Music, Counterpoint
Not to be confused with music theory, counterpoint
is the study of 2 notes, not so much when
they are played at the same time (the study of harmony),
but in succession. Hence, counterpoint is
concerned with melody more than harmony. Counterpoint
is highly respected among educated musicians
and can be very mathematical. In fact, the
complexity and exactitude of counterpoint has led
many to claim with strength that music is not an art,
but a science. Typically, music theory is learned prior
to contrapuntal studies. Each time music is written
or improvised, a check is required to see how well
contrapuntally it was written or performed. All
music involves counterpoint to some extent, whether
the composer or performer is aware of it or not.
The only races to utilize counterpoint are
bugbears, dwarves, and humans. Elves are too capricious
to calculate what they consider to be an
artform, and kobolds have failed to show interest to
date.
Check: Roll 3d10 and apply the average of
the modifiers for the sub-abilities of Math and Analytic
Intelligence. Higher results correspond with
better contrapuntal writing or playing.
Music, Theory
In music theory, when 2 notes are played at
the same time, a harmony is produced. Harmony is
the study of the various possible intervals and their
progressions. On a larger scale, 3 or more different
intervals played at the same time constitute a chord.
As a study, music theory is also concerned with the
relationship between any given interval or chord and
its scale or the tonality of the piece of music. Each
time music is written or improvised with an instrument
capable of multiple simultaneous notes or
when accompanying other musicians, a check is required
to see how well harmonically it was written
or performed.
An octave is divided into twelve equal pitches.
The dominance of some pitches over others constitutes
a scale. Usually, scales are presented as formulae,
as a series of whole (W) or half (H) tones.
Otherwise, an interval of a minor third (M) occurs.
The interval of a half-tone means adjacent pitches,
while a whole tone skips 1 and a minor third skips 2.
Each race claims a scale as its own, except
for anakim, ogres, and borbytingarna and hill trolls.
Anakim have no racial scale, but use the scale corresponding
to the society in which they live. Ogres
and the trolls mentioned above do not recognize
scales. If they play music at all, notes and rhythyms
are chosen without a method.
The following table lists the name and formula
of each race’s scale 1 . The scale names are translated
into Sapian.
Chapter 8: Skills
Race
Bugbear
Dwarf,
Black
Dwarf,
White
Elf,
Dark
Elf,
Light
Human
Kobold
Troll,
Subterranean
Scale
Name
Buggian
Blackian
Whitian
Darkian
Lightian
Humanian
Koboldian
Trollian
Formula
HMHWHMH
WWWWWW
WWHWWHW
WWWHWWH
WWHWWWH
WHWWHWW
WHWWHWM
HMHWHWW
1. The formulae listed in the table correspond to actual scales. The bugbear scale is double harmonic minor, black dwarven
is whole-tone, white dwarven is mixolydian, dark elven is lydian, light elven is major or ionian, human is minor or aeolian,
kobold is harmonic minor, and subterranean troll is phrygian dominant.
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