source file: mills3.txt Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 16:41:27 +0100 Subject: In support of 22, among others From: Steven Rezsutek [Apologies in advance for the lengthly babbling...] Given that I've been spending quite a bit of time with 22tet over the past several months, I was rather taken aback by the statement made on the digest recently that it was a "useless" tuning, so I'd like to throw my 54.54 cents worth into the discussion. I'm not much of a theorist in practice, so I won't make my argument along cyclic-group-theor-set-ical or meta-chromato-substi-modulational grounds, but rather a more simplistic artsy-feely-philosophical approach. IMHO, something can only be described as "useless" when there is an express or implied "use" to which one wishes to put it, and it isn't suitable for the intended purpose. That doesn't mean there aren't *other* purposes for which it may be perfect! Harry Partch made musical instruments out of so much material that was discarded as "useless". If doing the traditional heptatonic-diatonic, tried-and-true type of harmonic progressions in 22 "hurts", don't do that. I, for one, no longer accept that paradigm as the be-all and end-all, and I'm sometimes suprised that for all the effort expended on this list to break one mold, an equal amount of effort seems to be expended clinging to another. Along those lines I've had the power [if you will] of 22tet, and the constructs that seem, or should I say *sound* natural to it, [at least to my ears] demonstrate themselves only too well to me. The first instance was shortly after I had initially tuned up 22 on my synth and discovered a very pleasing 10 tone melodic scale [which led to my contacting Paul Erlich and learning of his theories], and much more recently when analyzing a chord progress I had found while noodling around on my 22 tone guitar proved it to fit (again) Pauls theories -- I had "rediscovered" Pauls decatonic minor modes, just by following my ear. To me, any tuning which can effect me to such a degree that "following my ear" leads to something like that is far from useless. I had made the trek up a number of the small ETs, from 17 to 19 to 22, and I have to admit that I plain didn't like 17 (but I've heard effective music made in it!), and while 19 didn't offer me anything that resonated with my minds ear, I've heard some *very* effective music made in 19. That doesn't make them "useless", only "not what I was looking for". 22, as it happens *does* offer what I've been looking for, and I'm forever grateful for the likes of Ivor Darreg, Brian McLaren, and eveyone on this list for providing alternative viewpoints, and the encouragement to explore -- I'd have probably given up long ago had I listened to the sources I had in my pre-list days, sources that described oh so many tunings as "useless" because they didn't fit the "7 tone I-IV-V" mold. If I've learned one thing from this list, it's that there is no single "best" tuning, but rather as many "best" tunings as there are emotions and pieces of music to express them. To me, the only "useless" tuning is one which has not been put to use. If nothing else, 22 is keeping me interested in music, and that's pretty good use for *any* tuning, IMO. Tune on, Steve PS. I know that email sometimes lacks critical cues, so I want to state outright that I intend nothing personal in the above, it's just my opinion on the subject. SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu From: alves@orion.ac.hmc.edu (Bill Alves) Subject: Re: More on the 19-tone Equal Temperament PostedDate: 09-12-97 18:29:44 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: 09-12-97 18:27:52-09-12-97 18:27:53,09-12-97 18:27:39-09-12-97 18:27:39 DeliveredDate: 09-12-97 18:27:39 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 C1256568.005FECCF; Tue, 9 Dec 1997 18:27:45 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA10662; Tue, 9 Dec 1997 18:29:44 +0100 Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 18:29:44 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA10660 Received: (qmail 4881 invoked from network); 9 Dec 1997 09:29:40 -0800 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 9 Dec 1997 09:29:40 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu