source file: mills3.txt Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 03:06:32 +0100 Subject: Re: TUNING digest 1230 From: "J. Kent Nilsson" Hello Patrick, You recently (6 Nov.) wrote: >`Alternative Tuning Projects' are preparing a pilot study regarding >establishing a Centre in the UK to co-ordinate the design and >manufacture of new instruments for ATS. >At this stage, I would greatly appreciate any help in bringing my >attention to existing instruments which fall into the category above, >or to relevant work in instrument design and building. I've been playing the Japanese koto for over 30 years and can heartily and warmly recommend it for use in a variety of tuning systems. It has 13 strings, made from an artificial silk, of great carrying power, is capable of a variety of "bent" notes and graces, and can be retuned in medias res. There is a 16 string version, and a 20 string version, and any number of semi-custom versions. If you get a version up in the 20+ string range you can set it up as two instruments with different tuning systems. The Chinese make a correlative instrument with 23-25 strings of wire which you can tune in a variety of systems of your own devising; its name is Jeng (pronounced "juhng"). Of course, the classical Chinese Gu Qin is bridgeless and fretless and can be played in any interval system the artist can devise and handle. It is a most expressive instrument in terms of its "bent note" graces. It uses "artificial silk" strings. The nice thing about these instruments is that they are all available in modern, contemporary, pieces and therefore are affordable. Anybody who has experience playing a harp or an Appalachian mountain dulcimer should be capable of learning to play one or more of these instruments. Kent Nilsson SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu From: "Paul H. Erlich" Subject: Schroeder PostedDate: 08-11-97 14:11:46 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: 08-11-97 14:10:36-08-11-97 14:10:36,08-11-97 13:10:56-08-11-97 13:10:56 DeliveredDate: 08-11-97 13:10:56 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 C1256549.00485F19; Sat, 8 Nov 1997 14:10:29 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA06753; Sat, 8 Nov 1997 14:11:46 +0100 Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 14:11:46 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA06662 Received: (qmail 28523 invoked from network); 8 Nov 1997 05:11:39 -0800 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 8 Nov 1997 05:11:39 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu