"the art music of the West has developed through out its history by means of individual geniuses, and out of the soil supporting them; non-Western musicians were born, and grew like the grasses of the field."

Here are some key modes and scales which Takemitsu used as starting points to build the chords, melodies and harmonic patterns which give his music such a distinctive eastern flavour.

1a. The Japanese dark scale ascending

 

1b. The Japenese dark scale descending

 

 

2.The Japanese light scale

 

3. The pentatonic scale

 

4.The whole- tone scale

 

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Takemitsu's own modes

5. Tree Line bar 6

This mode is really an octatonic scale with two notes missing (Eb and G). From these pitches the principle melodic feature of Tree line is formed.

Tree Line bars 5 - 8

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6. section D bar 2

At section D, the mode above is played by piano and double bass. It is used as an accompaniment to melodic phrases from horn, oboe and strings. With the exception of the flattened 3rd, it is similar in structure to the wholetone scale.

Tree Line section D bars 1 - 5

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Like many western composers of his generation, Takemitsu was interested in the intervalic relationships between the notes of the scales, melodies and chords he employed. He used these distances to generate new materials and ideas,creating harmonic patterns in ever changing formulations.