source file: mills2.txt Date: Tue, 5 Nov 1996 13:22:54 -0800 Subject: Re: notating tuning references From: "Adam B. Silverman" Gary Morrison asked (off the list): >> An idea which I have toyed with (but not yet implemented, mostly out of >> laziness) is to notate, at least when writing single-voice-per-staff music, >> tuning references for complex (extended JI or less-than obvious) intervals. >> For instance, when a violinist would read a Bb7, they would see the seven >> and automatically tune it as a 7/4 or 7/6 to some sounding pitch. However, >> if I have modulated to the key of Gb7, I would notate a Gb7 enclosed in >> parenthesis on the staff. > > Can you elucidate this a little more? For example, what does the "key of >Gb7" mean? I presume that this is some particular mode built upon Gb and >containing a 7:4 seventh? How then would you specify this particular >mode, and >how would you switch to a 9:5 minor seventh? > Let's change the example to a chord written F:Bb7:Eb7 (1/1, 21/16, 7/4) -The bass plays F, no problem. -The soprano sees Eb7, and plays Eb approximately a quartertone flat, knowing to tune a "7" relationship because she has the "7" diacritical. -The alto sees Bb7, but must tune a complex interval. She sees the "7", but doesn't know how to tune it since she is a bit lower than a 4/3 from the bass--no man's land. Since she sees the cue (Eb7) written in her part, she sees that the soprano pitch is a 4/3 above hers, and knows to which pitch she should tune her simple relationship. Another example: what if the bass moves from F (1/1) to GL+ (8/7), and then the alto must play a 5/4 from this new fundamental? She would see in her part BL+ over a cue (GL+), and knows to hear a 5/4 in relation to the bass rather than some kind of seventh. A 9/5 minor seventh would come under my "easy to hear" interval classifications. Since nobody sees a "7" they know not to tune too far away from their "home" chromatic scale. If I wanted an F#+ (45/32) in the chord C:F#+:G (1/1, 45/32. 3/2), I would give the alto an F#+ over a cue (D). Pardon my ambiguity, I hope that this is clearer. -Adam _________________ Adam B. Silverman 153 Cold Spring Street; A3 New Haven, CT 06511 (203) 782-1765 abs22@pantheon.yale.edu Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Tue, 5 Nov 1996 22:57 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA04930; Tue, 5 Nov 1996 22:58:38 +0100 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA04929 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id NAA29648; Tue, 5 Nov 1996 13:58:34 -0800 Date: Tue, 5 Nov 1996 13:58:34 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu