Diatonic Musical Scale

[ashish_rech]

The spacing of the four holes on a fragment of a bone flute excavated at a Neanderthal campsite is just what is required to play the third through sixth notes of the diatonic scale—the seven-note musical scale used in much of Western music since the Renaissance. Musicologists therefore hypothesize that the diatonic musical scale was developed and used thousands of years before it was adopted by Western musicians.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis?

A. Bone flutes were probably the only musical instrument made by Neanderthals.
B. No musical instrument that is known to have used a diatomic scale is of an earlier date than the flute found at the Neanderthal campsite.
C. The flute was made from a cave-bear bone and the campsite at which the flute fragment was excavated was in a cave that also contained skeletal remains of cave bears.
D. Flutes are the simplest wind instrument that can be constructed to allow playing a diatonic scale.
E. The cave-bear leg bone used to make the Neanderthal flute would have been long enough to make a flute capable of playing a complete diatonic scale.
Will appreciate if someone could explain why it is

SPOILER: E

and not others.

Thanks.

[Aqueel]

E it is.
Just saw this question on one of the sets and got it wrong.
Any explanation please.

[ramgmat]

i thought it was B

[LegoLife]

My answer is E.

Argument : Musicologists hypothesize that the seven-note musical scale used in modern music is adapted since Renaissance.Though, the diatones capable of playing upto 6-note were in use some several thousand years ago.

Strengthen : If the primitive people had knowledge about the seven-note musical scale, they'd have used it in their musical instruments [ perhaps more than 4 holes ].

Even though the cave-bear bone was long enough to contain several holes for playing a complete musical scale, the neanderthals used only 4.Hence, they didn't have knowledge of playing beyond the sixth-note.

[jnewton278]

I agree with Lego. The answer is E

IMO it is E, through POE

The spacing of the four holes on a fragment of a bone flute excavated at a Neanderthal campsite is just what is required to play the third through sixth notes of the diatonic scale—the seven-note musical scale used in much of Western music since the Renaissance. Musicologists therefore hypothesize that the diatonic musical scale was developed and used thousands of years before it was adopted by Western musicians.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis?

A. Bone flutes were probably the only musical instrument made by Neanderthals - this is irrelevant

B. No musical instrument that is known to have used a diatomic scale is of an earlier date than the flute found at the Neanderthal campsite. - the date is not under debate

C. The flute was made from a cave-bear bone and the campsite at which the flute fragment was excavated was in a cave that also contained skeletal remains of cave bears. - Cave bears making flutes, again irrelevant

D. Flutes are the simplest wind instrument that can be constructed to allow
playing a diatonic scale. - again irrelevant

E. The cave-bear leg bone used to make the Neanderthal flute would have been long enough to make a flute capable of playing a complete diatonic scale.
POE, this is the only option left

[username9]

to supplement Lego's explanation. even though the bone was long enough they spaced it just right to play the notes according to the diatonic scale which means they really invented it and then of course the western musicians built upon that. thx

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