mbira tunings

>>>I have been told that Mbira players in the Shona tradition retune
>>>their instruments frequently and nearly arbitrarily.
>>
>>This is true, though they tend to sound roughly diatonic to me.
>
>the mbira is not tuned arbitrarily at all.

Interviews with artists I've read suggest that they tune each
instrument differently with no bearing plan. These instruments
are often used together.

>there scale often is in the 7 semi equally spaced or mavila range

What is the basis for this claim?

-Carl

measurements.
Andrew tracy, hugh tracy son started learning mbira at the age of 8 , played them his whole life
no one tunes arbitrary except westerers

Carl Lumma wrote:

>>>>I have been told that Mbira players in the Shona tradition retune
>>>>their instruments frequently and nearly arbitrarily.
>>>> >>>>
>>>This is true, though they tend to sound roughly diatonic to me.
>>> >>>
>>the mbira is not tuned arbitrarily at all.
>> >>
>
>Interviews with artists I've read suggest that they tune each
>instrument differently with no bearing plan. These instruments
>are often used together.
>
> >
>>there scale often is in the 7 semi equally spaced or mavila range
>> >>
>
>What is the basis for this claim?
>
>-Carl
>
>
>
>
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
> >
>
>
> >

--
Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island <http://anaphoria.com/>
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU <http://www.kxlu.com/main.html> 88.9 FM Wed 8-9 pm Los Angeles

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
>
> >>>I have been told that Mbira players in the Shona tradition
retune
> >>>their instruments frequently and nearly arbitrarily.
> >>
> >>This is true, though they tend to sound roughly diatonic to me.
> >
> >the mbira is not tuned arbitrarily at all.
>
> Interviews with artists I've read suggest that they tune each
> instrument differently with no bearing plan. These instruments
> are often used together.
>
> >there scale often is in the 7 semi equally spaced or mavila range
>
> What is the basis for this claim?
>
> -Carl

According to a book i have called _The Soul of Mbira_
-- by a Westerner who spent time in Africa studying the
instrument and its players -- each player has his own
distinctive tuning, does not like to reveal its specifics,
and considers the tuning to be as much a part of his
personality and musical "persona" as any other distinctive
characteristic of his instrument and performance practice.

I'm away from home now, so can't quote anything directly,
but i do distinctly remember reading this.

-monz
http://tonalsoft.com
Tonescape microtonal music software

that is the case and i have the same book, but to say the tuning is arbitrary is another thing.
there are no slendro and pelogs alike ( except in a few rare cases) and they are definitely tuned

monz wrote:

>--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
> >
>
>
>
>According to a book i have called _The Soul of Mbira_
>-- by a Westerner who spent time in Africa studying the
>instrument and its players -- each player has his own
>distinctive tuning, does not like to reveal its specifics,
>and considers the tuning to be as much a part of his
>personality and musical "persona" as any other distinctive
>characteristic of his instrument and performance practice.
>
>I'm away from home now, so can't quote anything directly,
>but i do distinctly remember reading this.
>
>
>
>-monz
>http://tonalsoft.com
>Tonescape microtonal music software
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
> >
>
>
> >

--
Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island <http://anaphoria.com/>
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU <http://www.kxlu.com/main.html> 88.9 FM Wed 8-9 pm Los Angeles

there are 5 pages of measurements here
http://www.anaphoria.com/SndofAfra.PDF
pages12-17
--
Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island <http://anaphoria.com/>
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU <http://www.kxlu.com/main.html> 88.9 FM Wed 8-9 pm Los Angeles

>there are 5 pages of measurements here
> http://www.anaphoria.com/SndofAfra.PDF
>pages12-17

Thanks Kraig!

Erv gave me this once, but it's in storage.

I've transcribed the measurements of the single-manual
mbira below. They are cents between consecutive notes
of the scales. I plan to put them into scala format
when I have the time; hopefully someone will beat me
to it. Note that the measurement method (comparisons
against a set of tuning forks) used here has a resolution
no better than +/- 9 cents.

It isn't clear to me what the "x 9", etc. nomenclature
means, or if any of these places are in Zimbabwe.

-Carl

budongo x 11
199 278 240 209 274
271 254 221 257 197

chisanzhi x 8
130 256 146 188 154 326
156 236 89 143 214 172 190

chisanzhi x 10
330 136 272 172 290
155 54 168 211 335 177
76 324 311 179 310

chisanzhi x 12
163 100 206 224 328 179
195 277 203 214 90 221 (bilonda mode)
333 185 398 90 194

chisanzhi x 15
195 296 303 95 119 192

deza x 26
139 189 170 204 160 188 150

ekembe x 10
185 321 228 124 115 227

ekembe x 12
179 311 180 182 348

ikembe x 10
353 127 275 223 222

isanzo x 10
148 201 309 231 311

kankowela x 10
165 199 134 185 202 133 182
175 201 142 184 151 153 194
165 199 134 185 202 133 182

katima x 9
264 243 163 195 335

kiliyo x 9
197 393 80 284 246

kombi x 12
258 248 237 190 267

limba x 7
336 281 242 162 176

limba x 8
303 299 207 163 86 142

ilimba x 20
195 175 340 240 250

kalimba x 7
145 333 252 299 181

kalimba x 10
338 165 245 74 206 172

chilimba x 11
173 182 165 172 174 208 126

malimba x 13
263 206 85 176 194 128 148

marimbe x 18
178 179 193 173 182 165 130

mang'baru x 10
264 243 163 148 382

mbele ko fuku x 10
274 255 190 185 296

muchapata x 10
163 263 128 195 175 276

mumamba x 10
165 172 192 173 173 143 182

natine and minu x 10
263 267 264 185 221

neikembe x 11
204 165 151 182 165 199 134

ngombi x 8
172 319 202 227 280
160 163 101 185 271 168 152

sansi x 8
240 223 267 192 278

sansi x 10
150 267 258 201 324