Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup crazy_music Re: [crazy_music] To: Robert C Valentine

Dear Jacky,

i just finished watching Billy Wilders Sunset Blvd, and i read your post as
if Norma Desmond was talking.

I 100% totally entirely completely without a doubt uhh huh yea sure ya'
betcha KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN!!!

That's exactly what i do! Lattices are neat, and symmetrical looking math
looks great on paper, but can (not always) be poop in the ear.

With much feral ferocity i ferociously ferret fifty-nine fimit farmonics
fand figher!

I'M KOO-KOO FOR MELODIC COCOA PUFF'S!

This list is crazy.

jacky_ligon@... wrote:

> --- In crazy_music@y..., Robert C Valentine <BVAL@I...> wrote:
>
> > Have to admit that that crucifixion was positively mild compared to
> > what we've seen since! (Post lists of large prime numbers here
> > and you'll have your head handed you on a platter).
>
> Dear Robert,
>
> Hello!
>
> It would be highly unlikely that I would post scales here without a
> musical demonstration of the scales. In fact those days of posting
> scales without music are over for me. Even though I have did a bit of
> this, I *always* write some music or improvise with any scales I
> design. I wouldn't wish to waste folks time with something that I
> hadn't confirmed with my own ears.
>
> > Not everyone tries every scale that is posted. I've tried Dan
> > Stearns, since he seemed to be pursuing a similar thread to one
> > I'd been chasing. I tried 34 and 29, somehow bumping into them
> > via some of Margos posts. I recently was swimming around in
> > 7 and 14 tet after a post on this list managed to reach out of
> > the screen and shake a fist in my face.
>
> Yes - Dan and Margo are two gentlefolk who I have learned greatly
> from. Two shining stars and dear friends (like you) from the ATL to
> be sure.
>
> Even though I am greatly honored when someone try's out a scale I've
> designed - or better yet - writes music with them, it is totally
> irrelevant to me if everyone is interested. The reason being is as
> follows: Everything I do with scale design is directly and
> inseparably wedded to the act of musical creation, and reflects my
> own personal style, tastes and judgments. So all that anyone has seen
> from me in this regard is very personal and made for the style of my
> music. This stuff may look completely wacked to most folks, and I've
> been told before that as far as JI goes, my goals with scales are not
> to be considered "mainstream". I would never argue this important
> point. The reason why my scales *look* wacked is because I design
> scales to have special melodic attributes. Think about it - melodic
> scale design is mostly an untapped thing as far as what most folks
> are into, yet for 15 years prior to coming to these wacky internet
> tuning forums, this has been one of my predominant focuses. All you
> lattice guys had me scratchin' my bald head in confusion, until I
> understood what the differences were between what you where trying to
> do, and what I was using in my music. The difference is *melody*
> baby. I don't give a hoot (usually) about all the 5 limit harmonies I
> can shoehorn into a scale. My ears yearned for more complex scales
> years ago. Now don't get me wrong - I love's me some sweet sounding
> JI on occasion, but can't rest at those lower limit levels. I like
> that *shimmery* thing in my scales. In other words, I like Feral
> Scales - wild, unruly - untamed - unchained "Primitive Man Scales",
> that nobody gives a care about. I'm a Xenharmonic Atavism, with a
> furrowed Cro-Magnon brow, wooden club and massive body hair, setting
> around a campfire 30,000-50,000 years ago (nobody wake me up this is
> fun!).
>
> What is more important to me than anything as far as scale design
> goes, is to create structures which have a very distinct and unique
> sound pattern. And as hard-headed as it might sound, to do this from
> my own mind. Perhaps some of this *appears* to be in error, when one
> comes at tuning from a purely theoretical standpoint where everything
> must set pretty on the lattice, but me - I smash the lattice and get
> on with what sounds good to me for a given musical context.
>
> When some theorist tells me "Your scales *would* sound out of tune, I
> laugh because I know that they haven't yet tapped the treasures of
> melodic scale design. I ain't thinking about 5 limit harmonies - I
> ain't thinking about 7 limit harmonies and consonant maximization,
> which to me sounds bland as a cardboard box when applied to melodic
> music.
>
> Try it - you'll like it. Make a scale with an interesting melodic
> structure, build a fire and roast up a Mastodon an play your little
> booty off. Man - you modern cats don't know what you are missing.
> Throw those 5 limit harmonies on the fire to keep warm during the
> ritual - you don't need'em.
>
> > You can't take lack of response personally (any more than you
> > should take an over-enthusiastic-whether-positive-or-negative
> > response).
>
> I don't take it personally - I just despise them for life. No -
> really I jest. I don't take it personally at all, and mostly I just
> don't care. The last two years of tuning insults have toughened me up
> a bit, but what comforts me in the winters of discontent, is my ever
> present music making practice, which has taught me more and given me
> more empirical knowledge than the combined efforts of 10,000 tuning
> lists. I assure you that if Joe Monzo hadn't came to visit me, and
> got me to come to the internet tuning forums, I'd still be setting
> around a campfire somewhere making my primitive microtonal music, and
> would never have known or missed any of this wacky drama. Still it
> takes a back seat to making music for me and always will. I have 28+
> pieces of new microtonal music in the works, which will span 3-4 new
> CDs - so scales I don't need. Already got that, now I face the myriad
> of other equally important things that must come into play to
> complete the creative cycle. Microtonal scale design is but a very
> small facet of it all. I must design scales, design timbres, play
> instruments, write parts, sing, coach singers, use myriad software
> and plugins, create the artwork and text for the CDs, etc - all by
> myself. Hey - move to the wilderness with me - I could use an extra
> hand. Can you build a good fire? Can you palette Mastodon?
>
> Grawghh,
>
> Jacky Ligon
>
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>
>
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Re: [crazy_music] To: Robert C Valentine - Xenharmonic Atavisms..

🔗George Zelenz <ploo@...>

🔗Graham Breed <graham@...>