quoted 30 lines From: "ian" <ian@webice.net>
>From: "ian" <ian@webice.net>
>Reply-To: <ian@webice.net>
>To: <idm@hyperreal.org>
>Subject: Re: [idm] music 101
>Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2000 11:34:01 -0500
>
><font color="black" face="verdana, helvetica, arial" size="2">----------
>Original Message ----------------------------------
>From: Ed Hall <edhall@screech.weirdnoise.com>
>Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 19:03:19 -0700
>
> >Not all music uses equal-tempered scales. In fact, even AE has used
> >alternative tunings in some of their tracks (e.g. arch carrier on LP5).
> >To someone immersed in equal temperament as most of us are, such scales
> >sound vaguely out-of-tune, yet there can be an odd sense of harmonious-
> >ness missing from equal-tempered tunings (at least in keys compatible
> >with the tuning).
>
>wait wait hold on. alternate tunings? are you saying AE used quarter steps
>or something?
>
> >Equal temperament is the ONLY tuning system where enharmonic keys are
> >equivalent. It facilitates, but isn't necessary for, chromaticism.
> >(Check a good music dictionary for definitions of the latter word, and
> >other such terms.)
>
>I understand chromaticism, what the hell is equal temperament?
>
>
>#@!$% ian
Equal Temperament is how instruments are tuned today in the Western world.
It means that every note is equidistant from the on before and the one after
it. Basically, the octave is divided up into 12 equal half steps, thus
making the perfect 5th a bit flat and the Major 3rd a bit sharp from their
natural values. This differs from how instruments were tuned during, say ,
the baroque era, when they were tuned in Just Intonation, in which the
perfect 5th is made slightly flat but the "pure 3rd" between the 4th and 5th
partial of the overtone series is preserved. This tuning was used because
most music during that time was based on harmony of thirds. So, back in the
day of JS Bach, some keys actually did sound "sadder" or "happier" to a
certain extent, whereas there are no real differnces between one minor key
and another minor key in Equal Temperament. Even older is the Pythagorean
method of tuning, which is tuning based on "Perfect" 5ths, which facilitates
music based on harmonies of 5ths but leaves 3rds badly out of tune. Equal
Temperament equally allows 5ths and 3rds to be used harmonically, at least
to our young western ears.
Geez, I hope this clarifies things.
take care, have fun with tuning!!
Joshua
\telefon tel aviv
\benelli design labs
sorry John last time
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