Comments on: The Logophile http://www.dcroe.com/2009/08/the-logophile/ Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:28:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Dale Challener Roe http://www.dcroe.com/2009/08/the-logophile/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Dale Challener Roe Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:41:07 +0000 http://www.dcroe.com/?p=622#comment-136 Jason, Your right, the medical profession is one of many---MANY---professions that are guilty of the same thing. To answer your question---hopefully without getting too technical---the myxolydian mode is a way of playing the harmonica in what is also called second position or blues position. The most common harmonica is in the Key of C, first position would be to play around the C mostly by blowing notes. Myxolydian mode would be played my moving 5 notes lower and mostly by drawing notes. Not in sound but in technique it would roughly equivalent to playing the piano a half octave lower and using the black keys. That all seems so much more confusing that it was in my head. Jason,

Your right, the medical profession is one of many—MANY—professions that are guilty of the same thing.

To answer your question—hopefully without getting too technical—the myxolydian mode is a way of playing the harmonica in what is also called second position or blues position. The most common harmonica is in the Key of C, first position would be to play around the C mostly by blowing notes. Myxolydian mode would be played my moving 5 notes lower and mostly by drawing notes. Not in sound but in technique it would roughly equivalent to playing the piano a half octave lower and using the black keys.

That all seems so much more confusing that it was in my head.

]]> By: Jason Coggins http://www.dcroe.com/2009/08/the-logophile/comment-page-1/#comment-135 Jason Coggins Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:18:36 +0000 http://www.dcroe.com/?p=622#comment-135 Great post. I have indulged in in-speak within hobbies as diverse as role-playing, rock climbing, surfing and even astronomy (now there's a geeky roll call if there ever was one!) Now, I know this is slightly off topic, but I applied your thinking here to the medical profession and its use of specialised language to maintain an air of mystique (and for some power) over those who are not privy to Latin, medico-legal gobbledygook. EG: Anterior for front, dyspnea for breathlessness! Esoteric language when used in hobbies is indeed endearing - but when used to perpetuate in-group authority is suspect. Anyway, thanks for letting me rant ... and for the record just what the Bennny Hill is "myxolydian scale"????? Great post. I have indulged in in-speak within hobbies as diverse as role-playing, rock climbing, surfing and even astronomy (now there’s a geeky roll call if there ever was one!) Now, I know this is slightly off topic, but I applied your thinking here to the medical profession and its use of specialised language to maintain an air of mystique (and for some power) over those who are not privy to Latin, medico-legal gobbledygook. EG: Anterior for front, dyspnea for breathlessness! Esoteric language when used in hobbies is indeed endearing – but when used to perpetuate in-group authority is suspect. Anyway, thanks for letting me rant … and for the record just what the Bennny Hill is “myxolydian scale”?????

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