Descripción: Lecture slides on the principles of tuning systems in Hindustani, Baroque, Classical, Blues and 20th Centur...
The Scien Science ce and Art of Tunin uning g Dr.. Milton Mermikides Dr December 2010 All Material ©2010 Milton Mermikides
What Wh at is in Tun une? e? How Long is a Piece of String?
How Do We Dec Decide ide??
Concepts •
Wav avelength elength & Frequency F requency
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Hz. The Frequency of Human Hearing
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The Law of Octave Equivalence
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Harmonic Series
5
Assumptions
Acoustic Purity •
The Pythagorean concept of Acoustic Purity: Intervals from simple ratios
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Selecting notes and constructing scales from the Harmonic Series
Sunday, 23 January 2011
The Pure 5th
1/1
3/2
2 /1
3/1
Struck
The 3-Limit Scale
1/1 C Root
9/8 81/64 D E Maj 2nd Maj 3rd
4/3 F 4th
3/2 27/16 G A 5th Maj 6th
Just intonation
2/1 C’ 8ve
The Pure 3rd From the 5th Harmonic (5-limit) 5/1: 2 octaves and a major 3rd 5/4: Major 3rd 81/64 E Maj 3rd 1/1 C Root
5/4 E Maj 3rd
8/5 Ab Min 6th 25/16 G# Aug. 5th
2/1 C’ 8ve
Shrutis of Hindustani Classical Music
Raga Bhairav
Monophonic vs. Polyphonic
Enough Physics, let’s make 12 Notes.
The Cycle Spiral of 5ths (3/2)12=129.746 27=128 Pythagorean Comma 129.746/128
Temper, temper
Equa Eq uall Tem Tempe pera rame ment nt
Equa Eq uall Tem Tempe pera rame ment nt Makes Cents Cents = 1200 * log(ratio) log(2)
Ratio = 2
(Cents/1200)
The Third Issue (5/4)3= 125/64 128/64
≠
The Third Issue
C Major Prelude Equa Eq uall Tem Tempe pera rame ment nt
C Major Prelude Well Te Tempere red d
Another Solution
Mozart’s Semitones
Another Solution 1/9=11.1cents
Clockwise from left: Campagnoli’s fingerboard diagram (1797) Woldermar’s Violin Method (1803) and Split key harpsichord 1715
Where Did It Go? •
Complexity of Instrument Design
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Challenges of pedagogy and wider interest in performing music, owning a piano
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The drive through romantic romantic harmony into 1212 tone serialism
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Filtered Filtere d out of the system
Lead Le adin ingg Ton Tones es?? Consideration of the vertical and the horizontal. A time for harmonic sonority, and a time for expressive expressive intonation.
Microtones & the Blues The Neutral 3rd The Neutral 7th 4-b5 b5-5
Blues Inflection
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Thelonius Monk
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Guitarists (Bends, Slide Guitar)
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Vocalists (Bessie Smith)
Tuning Systems Harry Partch (1901-1974) American microtonal composer and instrument mak maker er 11-limit 43 tone system
11-limit (43 tone) •
11th harmonic chosen as the boundary of our tolerance - falling betwee between n 2 equal tempered pitches (F#- 49cents).
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43 divisions of the scale are constructed within this boundary.
Microtonal adjustment of Microtonal pre-existing pr e-existing instruments
Tolgahan Cogalu
Technology and Microtones
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Busoni (1866-1924) In response to Cahill s Telharmonium "Let us take thought," he exulted, "how music may be restored to its primitive, natural essence; [...] let it follow the line of the rainbow and vie with the clouds in breaking sunbeams.” ʼ
Autotune •
Correction, quantisation and effect
Autotune (Ab)use Dixie Chicks – The Long Way Around – Noticeable on “parents” and “but I.” T-Pain – I’m Sprung – Especially obvious on “homies” and “lady.” Avril Lavigne – Complicated – Listen Li sten to “way “way,,” “when,” “driving, “driving ,” “you’re.” Uncle Kracker – Follow Me The whole vocal sounds strained, but especially the word “goodbye.” Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved – Listen for “rain” and “smile.” Natasha Bedingfield – Love Like This – “Apart” and “life.” Sean Kingston – Beautiful girls – “OoooOver” doesn’t sound human. JoJo – Too Little Too Late – Appropriately, “problem” stands out. Rascal Flatts – Life is a Highway Every vocal, foreground and background, is treated, but “drive” in particular. New Found Glory – Hit or Miss – “Thriller”, and every time Jordan sings “I.”
Autotune Auto tune Aware Aware
Autotune Auto tune Aware Aware
Hiding vs. Hearing
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Corrective technology (Pristine vs. sterile)
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Expressive Expressiv e technology technolog y
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Non equal-tempered auto-tuning?
Practical Democratic tuning
Milton Mermikides miltonmermikides.com
[email protected]
All Material ©2010 Milton Mermikides
