source file: mills2.txt Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 12:02:09 -0800 Subject: Genesis of a Music question From: malkin@iwaynet.net (David Malkin) I am confused with Harry Partch's description of the 5 limit in Chapter 7 of "Genesis of a Music." What is a 5 limit (or any "n" limit for that matter)? Is it a scale that only includes ratios with a 5 in numerator or denominator? Is the highest prime 5 that any number in numerator or denominator can be divided into? He uses a scale as follows: 1/1 6/5 5/4 4/3 3/2 8/5 5/3 2/1 on page 109. What about 16/15. This ratio's numerator and denominator are divisible by primes that are 5 or less. Does he choose his scale based on what sounded good, on how close to just he could get? On page 110 he speaks of the coexistence of Major and Minor and draws the first Tonality diamond in the book. Why do these major and minor sounds (ie Otonalites and Utonalities) result. It seems like they just appear out of thin air. What is a Numerary Nexus? His definition on page 72 is confusing to me. Sorry to bother you with these questions, but who else in the world is there to turn to? Your standard music prof at "state" university? I would appreciate any help you can give me. Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Mon, 16 Dec 1996 21:15 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA05971; Mon, 16 Dec 1996 21:17:23 +0100 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA05970 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id MAA26892; Mon, 16 Dec 1996 12:17:16 -0800 Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 12:17:16 -0800 Message-Id: <199612161516_MC1-D38-2D57@compuserve.com> Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu