<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2716.2200" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave, in fact the definition of a whole tone scale is a scale that divides the octave into six equal-tempered whole tones. From a compositional standpoint, it is very significant that the piano is tuned equally. It is because the steps are equally tempered that the scale is tonally unstable. An unequal temperament would bias the centrality of certain tones. The essence of whole tone composition is that 'tonal' centers are established by emphasis, not by the establishment of tonality; one note is give artificial prominence over others. The temperament issue is important because whole tone scales must lack the fundamental major/minor/tonic/dominant relationship that tonality provides.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It is an interesting topic to think about . . . </FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bradley M. Snook</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>