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102scales. Instead, in Georgia they are based mostly on the repetition of five-note scale units(pentachords) or four-note units (tetrachords). Tetrachordal (four note), or fourth diatonicsystems of the scales are very well known from ancient musical manuscripts from ancientGreece and the Arabian world, but of the discovery that the scale system was based onfive notes (pentachords), or “fifths diatonic scales” was crucial for a correctunderstanding of Georgian traditional and medieval professional polyphony. Let uscompare these three systems of scales: (1) eight, (2) fifths, and (3) fourth systems:Fig. 6. Scales of eight, fifths and fourth diatonicAccording to the intrinsic nature of the scales and intervals, out of these three socalled“perfect” intervals (eight, fourth, fifth) only one can remain perfect in any systemof scale. If the musical style is based on the eight (octave) diatonic system, only eightsare always perfect, in the fourth diatonic system only fourths are always perfect, and inthe fifths diatonic only fifths are always perfect. In the eight diatonic system augmentedfourth and diminished fifth are present, in the fifths diatonic system both fourth and eightare sometimes augmented (e.g., see C-F# and C-C#), and in fourth diatonic system bothfifths and octave are sometimes diminished (e.g., see B-F, E-Bflat, or B-Bflat, E-Eflatand A-Aflat).All our music education is firmly based on octave scales (even the name of thenotes and keys on the piano ar e based on octave scales, as we use only seven notes, andthe eighth note is considered to be the same note as the first one (remember seven notesfrom s chool music lessons: A,B,C,D,E,F,G and then again A,B,C,D,E,F,G etc). If wewere to use only “fourth” scale systems, we would have to learn only three notes: A, B,C, and again A,B,C (as the fourth note would be the same as the first one). In fifthsscales, accordingly, we would have a string of A,B,C,D, and again A,B,C,D (the fifthsnote being the same as the first one).These three types of scales are interestingly linked with different styles of musicin different major regions of the world. To generalize, we may say that “fourth” (ortetrachordal) scales are more prominent in Middle Eastern monophonic traditions. Inthese traditions the interval of the fourth is paramount and this is clear from ancientGreek and medieval Arabic musical theoretical writings.The “fifth” (or pentachordal) scales seem to be more prominent in polyphonictraditions. At least, this scale system is obvious in such widely separated polyphoniccultures as Georgian and Icelandic (we’ll discuss Icelandic music later in this chapter).