Classical Physics

Acoustic Determinism in Single-Hole Cylindrical Flutes: Evidence That Musical Scales Emerge from Instrument Geometry Rather Than Cultural Transmission

Authors: Mark Jerome Growden
Comments: 2 Pages.

This paper proposes that several of the world's most widespread musical scales arise naturally from the acoustic physics of simple bilabial end-blown cylindrical flutes with a single tone hole. Through hands-on construction and performance of one-hole flutes made from uniform cylindrical tubing, the author demonstrates that placing a hole at a minor second interval above the fundamental, combined with the overtone series, generates the Freygish (Hijaz) scale. A hole at a major second generates a pentatonic scale in the more accessible registers, and a Lydian Dominant scale when played into the higher, more demanding partials. When the end-covering technique of overtone flutes is combined with the single-hole technique, additional scale systems emerge from the same instrument. These findings suggest that culturally diverse scale systems may share a common origin not in theory, cultural exchange, or aesthetic preference, but in the physical constraints of elementary wind instrument construction. The implications extend to ethnomusicology, organology, and the origins of tonal music.
Category: Classical Physics