source file: m1421.txt Date: Wed, 20 May 98 12:21:35 BST Subject: Re: tuning Middle C; the octave From: jpff@maths.bath.ac.uk Message written at 20 May 1998 09:19:40 +0100 In-reply-to: <19980519.023058.15326.1.monz@juno.com> (Joseph L Monzo) References: <19980519.023058.15326.1.monz@juno.com> >>>>> "Joseph" == Joseph L Monzo writes: Joseph> La Monte Young, who frequently writes droning electronic Joseph> pieces which consist of one chord played continuously Joseph> for hours, days, or weeks at a time, came up with a very Joseph> reasonable solution: Joseph> All electrical current in the USA flows thru the lines at Joseph> 60 cycles per second, which produces the hum you Joseph> hear in amplifiers, refrigerators, etc., and whose frequency Joseph> happens to be (let me get my calculator...) 60 Hz. Joseph> So Young tunes his 1/1 to 60 Hz and calculates all other Joseph> ratios from that, thus sublimating the hum into his piece Joseph> by masking it. Joseph> (This 60 cycle hum is a 15/8 "major 7th" in my tuning.) Does that mean that if his music were to be played in Europe that it would need transposing down by 5/6? Just curious. ==John ffitch