Editing Bohlen–Pierce scale (section)

==Chords and modulation==
{{nobr|3:5:7&thinsp;s}} [[Intonation (music)#Intonation sensitivity|intonation sensitivity]] pattern is similar to {{nobr|4:5:6&thinsp;s}} (the just major chord), more similar than that of the minor chord.<ref name="Current Directions, p.165-66">{{harvp|Mathews|Pierce|1989|pp= 165–166}}</ref> This similarity suggests that our ears will also perceive 3:5:7 as consonant.

The 3:5:7&nbsp;chord may thus be considered the major triad of the BP scale. It is approximated by an interval of 6&nbsp;equal-tempered BP [[semitone]]s ({{Audio|BP ET half step.ogg|play one semitone}}) on bottom and an interval of 4&nbsp;equal-tempered semitones on top {{nobr|(semitones 0, 6, 10;}} {{Audio|BP ET 357.ogg|play}}). A minor triad is correspondingly 6&nbsp;semitones on top and 4&nbsp;semitones on bottom {{nobr|(0, 4, 10;}} {{Audio|BP ET minor.ogg|play}}). 5:7:9 is the first inversion of the major triad {{nobr|(0, 4, 7;}} {{Audio|BP ET 579.ogg|play}}).<ref name="Current Directions, p.169">{{harvp|Mathews|Pierce|1989|pp= 169}}</ref>

A study of chromatic triads formed from arbitrary combinations of the 13&nbsp;tones of the chromatic scale among twelve musicians and twelve untrained listeners found {{nobr|semitones 0, 1, 2}} to be the most dissonant chord ({{Audio|BP 012.ogg|play}}), but {{nobr|0, 11, 13}} ({{Audio|BP 0 11 13.ogg|play}}) was considered the most consonant by the trained subjects (because it sounds like an octave-dropped major triad) and {{nobr|0, 7, 10}} ({{Audio|BP 0 7 10.ogg|play}}) was judged most consonant by the untrained subjects.<ref name="Current Directions, p.171">{{harvp|Mathews|Pierce|1989|pp= 171}}</ref>

Every tone of the Pierce 3579b scale is in a major and minor triad except for tone II&nbsp;of the scale. There are thirteen possible keys. Modulation is possible through changing a single note. Moving note&nbsp;II up one semitone causes the tonic to rise to what was note&nbsp;III (semitone&nbsp;3), which therefore may be considered the [[dominant (music)|dominant]]. One may consider VIII (semitone&nbsp;10) the analogue of the [[subdominant]].<ref name="Current Directions, p.169"/>