Starving Artistry

 

Alright, I finished BSG, and noticed the Jimi Hendrix (actually, technically Bob Dylan) reference (lyrically, and the song that plays at the end), but as far as the “tune” that was stuck in their heads, led them to discover each other, and privded Starbuck with the jump coordinates… how does that sound anything like “all along the watch tower?”

 

 
jump coordinates were:

 

1123, 6536, 5321

 
which translates to

 
C#, C#, D, E; A, G#, E, A; G#, E, D, C#

 
interestingly enough, the scale they’re playing in is actually the Pelog (listen to the soundclip here, your mind will be blown) scale from indonesian gamelan music, which again leads me the question… this sounds like All Along The Watchtower how??

 
I realize if you don’t watch the show, you have no idea what I’m talking about… but I’ve read multiple postings on the internet where all they talk about is how the tune is the same. I don’t hear it, can someone explain?

 
*** Upon a little more thought based on the notes used and the scale degrees listed, the tune is actually in the C# Phrygian scale (or mode). You see, if they were listing the numbers in a 12-tone scale, the numbers should actually be 1124, 9849, 8421. If we assume the pelog scale, the scale degrees would actually be 1123, 5435, 4321 because there are only 5 tones (yeah, yeah, technically 7) in the pelog scale. If we assumed they were playing in a regular major scale, the notes would actually be C#, C#, D#, E#, etc. The only scale that works with the scale degrees and intervals is the Phrygian scale, starting on C#.

 
Now, how starbuck (and Hera) grasped this mode without any #’s or b’s on the sheet of music is pretty amazing. God must really be talking to Starbuck!