This places the higher harmonics (from the 8th harmonic up, which are closer together in pitch) in a playable range, enabling the performance of diatonic melodies.
Most notable among its attributes are a tendency toward modal rather than diatonic melodies (characteristic of the country's folk music, too), and thick textures founded upon especially low-lying bass lines.
This A section featured duple meter, singsong rhythms, and diatonic melodies with the sounds of oboe, English horn, and taxi horns.
But this time the evasion is sneakier: Several of Mr. Wernick's melodies begin as comfortably diatonic melodies, and slowly break away.
The first movement revolves around a diatonic melody that soon develops into complex pianistic figuration.
When he plays keyboards, he uses his right hand to tap out his simple, diatonic melodies.
Nicolas' response to the chorus departs from the emphasis on E, traveling through many different keys, though generally using diatonic melodies.
It is similar to the hymn in its largely syllabic texture and diatonic melody, with slight differences.
Richter tuning is designed as a compromise between diatonic melody and harmony.
When a mid-20th-century generation was giving up on diatonic melody, Britten was reinventing it in relative isolation.