Twentieth-Century Avant-Gardes and Tonal Systems

The idea, put forward by twentieth-century avant-gardes of changing, replacing, or abolishing the major–minor tonal system was ambitious but, probably, doomed to fail. It ran up against an ethnographic fact that had not been taken into account at the time.

This is the point: tonal systems in general (the most studied being maqām, rāga, and dastgāh) tend to display great longevity, even on a millennial scale. The Western system, based on functional harmony, is therefore relatively young. Even if one traces it back to John Dunstable (ca. 1380–1453), who introduced into continental Europe harmony based on “thirds” rather than “fourths,” it is only about six hundred years old. It is therefore unlikely that it can be substantially changed or replaced in the short term. It may well have a long future ahead.

Ethnomusicological research shows that musical traditions often accept changes in instrumentation, in compositional techniques, and in the functions of genres, but much less so with regard to vocal timbre and its tendency toward blending (vocal blend). By contrast, the tonal system does not change. For example, Sardinian launeddas players, who listen daily to popular music, do not adopt the Western major–minor system when they play their instrument. The practice remains modal, governed by its own internal logic.

P.S. The idea of the long durability of modal systems is well supported in ethnomusicology (e.g., Bruno Nettl, Mantle Hood), which emphasizes the resilience of deep structures compared to surface elements. Studies on maqām, rāga, and dastgāh (e.g., Ali Jihad Racy) also confirm long-term continuity, albeit with internal variations.