[LAU] Re: That must suck. For me it's about beauty--musicisjustone path

[Chuckk Hubbard]

On 4/6/07, Chuck Martin <dsdhpnw02 at sneakemail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 06, 2007 at 12:37:28AM -0400, Chuckk Hubbard wrote:
> > On 4/6/07, Chuck Martin <dsdhpnw02 at sneakemail.com> wrote:
> > >No equal tempered scale will have any of those ratios, exactly, except
> > >for the octave.  Just tunings will have some of those ratios, exactly,
> > >buy only in certain keys, because it's impossible to have all fifths or
> > >all thirds perfect, for example.
> >
> > Well, it is impossible if you are using a fixed-pitch instrument.
> > With talented singers, it's almost impossible to have any fifth or
> > third not perfect.
>
> That's true, but they adjust their pitch subconciously to harmonize with
> the other singers.

Absolutely.  And so they can have all thirds and fifths perfect in all
keys, by using more than 12 pitches when necessary.

>
> That brings to mind an interesting thought.  With most electronic
> keyboards being software-based, it seems it would be a simple matter for
> the software to analyze what notes are being played, and adjust the notes
> for perfect harmony in the same way those singers do.  I wonder if that's
> ever been done.  Does anyone know?

I don't know about that one.  Wendy Carlos spoke of and might have
created a keyboard that would retune with a pedal.  With computers it
would be a snap, and could even be reprogrammed in real time.  I like
the idea: when you hold down the foot pedal, the next note you touch
doesn't sound, but rather becomes the new tonal center.
I programmed a Pure Data patch a while back that allows me to compose
using a set of just frequency ratios, and will transpose with one
key-press, so that, for instance, the 7/4 element of one chord can
become the 1/1 of the next, and then the 5/9 of that tonal center can
become the next 1/1, and so on and so on.  This way I don't need to
decide how many notes per octave I want, and I don't need to keep
multiplying and dividing when I change keys.
I think the ideal instrument for this would be a computer with a
touchscreen.  Real-time scaleless microtonal improvisation together
with live coding.  It would be unstoppable.

-Chuckk

-- 
http://www.badmuthahubbard.com