source file: mills3.txt Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 21:07:35 +0100 Subject: harmony and small integer frequency ratios From: gbreed@cix.compulink.co.uk (Graham Breed) After going to the extreme lengths of actually listening to chords, I've come to some conclusions on this subject. Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious, but here are my opinions: Just intervals of small interval ratios have a uniquely pure sound. This purity is not always desirable. Differences of tuning as small as 1 cent do affect the sound of the chord. I'm unable to try smaller intervals at present. When an interval is detuned by more than a few cents, this detuning has more of an impact on the sound of the chord than the particular ratios involved, provided the latter are small (I haven't worked out how small yet). All of the above depends strongly on timbre The idea that dissonance increases with prime limit is erroneous. The 3-5-7 limits happen to get progressively out of tune in 12tet, though, which may be the origin of this. Perhaps the discussion would be more focused if people addressed these points rather than wallowing around in misunderstandings about exactly what constitutes a ratio. SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu From: DFinnamore@aol.com Subject: Re: temperaments/reality PostedDate: 26-10-97 23:56:39 SendTo: CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH ReplyTo: tuning@eartha.mills.edu $MessageStorage: 0 $UpdatedBy: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH,CN=Manuel op de Coul/OU=AT/O=EZH RouteServers: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=notesrv1/OU=Server/O=EZH RouteTimes: 26-10-97 23:55:49-26-10-97 23:55:50,26-10-97 22:56:26-26-10-97 22:56:26 DeliveredDate: 26-10-97 22:56:26 Categories: $Revisions: Received: from ns.ezh.nl ([137.174.112.59]) by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA SMTP v4.6 (462.2 9-3-1997)) with SMTP id C125653C.007DF118; Sun, 26 Oct 1997 23:55:37 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA27899; Sun, 26 Oct 1997 23:56:39 +0100 Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 23:56:39 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA27917 Received: (qmail 7251 invoked from network); 26 Oct 1997 14:56:30 -0800 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 26 Oct 1997 14:56:30 -0800 Message-Id: <971026174905_1723736715@emout06.mail.aol.com> Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu