|
The "diatonic system" is much more recent than the Greeks... In terms of formulating modes, much less settling on Ionian (major) and Aolian (minor) as focal points, you're talking much more like 1300 AD (Gregorian Chant ring a bell?). And even then they didn't have a conception of functional harmony that has anything to do with what we have. It was all figured bass until after Bach.
I take perfect pitch to mean the ability to remember pitch in absolute terms. Someone else used the term "audiation" to refer to a process analogous to visualization. I think this word conveys exactly the right meaning - the abilty to conceptualize pitch without reference. The pitch could be western harmony or not - but most of us have ears that are "culturized" to process pitch in 12 tone terms. Because of this, some with perfect pitch will refer to a "sharp a" rather than a discreet pitch that is somewhere between a and b flat.
__________________
Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam
|