Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup makemicromusic seventeen-tone piano project: call for scores

First of all, I should mention that phase one of the Seventeen-Tone
Piano project was a(n) (in)complete success. On April 29, 2006 at a
hall in Rice University in balmy Houston, Texas, concert-goers were
exposed to the sounds of seventeen tone equal temperament (or EDO,
depending on the particular ears) by way of two acoustic baby grand
pianos, one Kawaii, one Chickering. It was an hour of fumbled
explanations by myself interspersed with precomposed music by Rice
composers, including the following:

A place I haven't heard, by Jordan Kuspa
Faucet Leak, by Angelique Poteat
(untitled) by Dan Sedgwick
Variation V from foum, by Jacob Barton
The Elitism Rumba, by Jacob Barton (with udderbot solo! available at
Fun with Xenharmonicity)
Prelude, by Philip Cornell
and Dr. Dean Shank (the illustrious and cooperative piano tuner) plays
the Moonlight Sonata with Flats instead of Sharps(!)

All were fascinating, yet none took full advantage of the
opportunities afforded by the 17-tPP; not one of these pieces was
composed AT the pianos! It just seems to me that for a composer
concerned with final product and not (just) compositional process, the
use of the actual pianos in question is essential, especially when
they were made available for the month prior. But Rice people keep busy.

AT ANY RATE; I should like to now extend an invitation to all the
world's composer-types; a CALL for SCORES. Music may be scored for one
or two of the pianos (1-4 hands) and any additional one or two
instruments, provided that Rice has them (inquire if curious).

The layout of the two pianos in 17 is simple: following the
circle-of-fifths naming system for 17, the white keys of both pianos
are tuned to the same (superpythagorean) C major scale. The piano
called "flat" has black keys tuned to Db Eb Gb Ab Bb; the one called
"sharp" has C# D# F# G# A#. 7+5+5=17. Remember, C# is HIGHER than
Db! The setup has been to set the two pianos at a right angle, with
flats on the left, sharps on the right.

Scores need to be in printable and legible. It is highly encouraged
that you know what the music will sound like before you submit. If you
wish to compose in 17 but have no way to hear it yet, we can talk
about that. And I can give you my take on 17's harmonic and melodic
possibilities, take it or leave it.

Submissions shall be DUE MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2006 to MYSELF in some way
or another. Address:

17 tone piano project
c/o Jacob Barton
9 Sunset Blvd. MS-709
Houston, TX 77005

or email address: udderbot at gmail dot com.

Why then? Well, because the concert is planned for TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER
26, 2006. And if we want to have actual piano majors playing, unlike
last time, well, they like to have a little notice.

DISCLAIMER: the 17-tone piano project is in no way affiliated with
Rice University. it is not even an official Shepherd School of Music
event, not being a senior or junior or masters or doctoral or
faculty-sponsored recital. heck, it could completely fall through. but
don't let that stop you.

Questions? Ask away.

🔗Yahya Abdal-Aziz <yahya@...>

Hi Jacob,

Jacob Barton wrote on Sat May 20, 2006:
>
> First of all, I should mention that phase one of the Seventeen-Tone
> Piano project was a(n) (in)complete success. On April 29, 2006 at a
> hall in Rice University in balmy Houston, Texas, concert-goers were
> exposed to the sounds of seventeen tone equal temperament (or EDO,
> depending on the particular ears) by way of two acoustic baby grand
> pianos, one Kawaii, one Chickering. It was an hour of fumbled
> explanations by myself interspersed with precomposed music by Rice
> composers, including the following:
>
> A place I haven't heard, by Jordan Kuspa
> Faucet Leak, by Angelique Poteat
> (untitled) by Dan Sedgwick
> Variation V from foum, by Jacob Barton
> The Elitism Rumba, by Jacob Barton (with udderbot solo! available at
> Fun with Xenharmonicity)
> Prelude, by Philip Cornell
> and Dr. Dean Shank (the illustrious and cooperative piano tuner) plays
> the Moonlight Sonata with Flats instead of Sharps(!)
>
> All were fascinating, yet none took full advantage of the
> opportunities afforded by the 17-tPP; not one of these pieces was
> composed AT the pianos! It just seems to me that for a composer
> concerned with final product and not (just) compositional process, the
> use of the actual pianos in question is essential, especially when
> they were made available for the month prior. But Rice people keep busy.

Congratulations on DOING it!!! :-)
-
and on having the guts to persevere! :-)

> AT ANY RATE; I should like to now extend an invitation to all the
> world's composer-types; a CALL for SCORES. Music may be scored for one
> or two of the pianos (1-4 hands) and any additional one or two
> instruments, provided that Rice has them (inquire if curious).
>
> The layout of the two pianos in 17 is simple: following the
> circle-of-fifths naming system for 17, the white keys of both pianos
> are tuned to the same (superpythagorean) C major scale. The piano
> called "flat" has black keys tuned to Db Eb Gb Ab Bb; the one called
> "sharp" has C# D# F# G# A#. 7+5+5=17. Remember, C# is HIGHER than
> Db! The setup has been to set the two pianos at a right angle, with
> flats on the left, sharps on the right.
>
> Scores need to be in printable and legible. It is highly encouraged
> that you know what the music will sound like before you submit. If you
> wish to compose in 17 but have no way to hear it yet, we can talk
> about that. And I can give you my take on 17's harmonic and melodic
> possibilities, take it or leave it.

I'd like to hear what the full gamut
(C, Db, C#, D ... B, C ) sounds like,
which could be done by you posting
a "scale exercise in 17-tone" as an
MP3 or Ogg Vorbis file ...

> Submissions shall be DUE MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2006 to MYSELF in some way
> or another. Address:
>
> 17 tone piano project
> c/o Jacob Barton
> 9 Sunset Blvd. MS-709
> Houston, TX 77005
>
> or email address: udderbot at gmail dot com.
>
> Why then? Well, because the concert is planned for TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER
> 26, 2006. And if we want to have actual piano majors playing, unlike
> last time, well, they like to have a little notice.

Good plan ;-)

> DISCLAIMER: the 17-tone piano project is in no way affiliated with
> Rice University. it is not even an official Shepherd School of Music
> event, not being a senior or junior or masters or doctoral or
> faculty-sponsored recital. heck, it could completely fall through. but
> don't let that stop you.
>
> Questions? Ask away.

... or by having the exact tuning specification.
Did you give that somewhere already? If not,
please let's have a scala .scl -format file.
I know you said superpyth + flats & sharps,
but how flat are the flats, & how sharp the
sharps?

Did I forget to say - I'd love to take part in
this somehow! Thanks for extending the
invitation. (Yeah, I *know* the whole galaxy's
invited, but anyway!)

Regards,
Yahya

--
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🔗daniel_anthony_stearns <daniel_anthony_stearns@...>

wooooooohoooooooo, go jacob go!

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Jacob" <jbarton@...> wrote:
>
> First of all, I should mention that phase one of the Seventeen-Tone
> Piano project was a(n) (in)complete success. On April 29, 2006 at a
> hall in Rice University in balmy Houston, Texas, concert-goers were
> exposed to the sounds of seventeen tone equal temperament (or EDO,
> depending on the particular ears) by way of two acoustic baby grand
> pianos, one Kawaii, one Chickering. It was an hour of fumbled
> explanations by myself interspersed with precomposed music by Rice
> composers, including the following:
>
> A place I haven't heard, by Jordan Kuspa
> Faucet Leak, by Angelique Poteat
> (untitled) by Dan Sedgwick
> Variation V from foum, by Jacob Barton
> The Elitism Rumba, by Jacob Barton (with udderbot solo! available at
> Fun with Xenharmonicity)
> Prelude, by Philip Cornell
> and Dr. Dean Shank (the illustrious and cooperative piano tuner)
plays
> the Moonlight Sonata with Flats instead of Sharps(!)
>
> All were fascinating, yet none took full advantage of the
> opportunities afforded by the 17-tPP; not one of these pieces was
> composed AT the pianos! It just seems to me that for a composer
> concerned with final product and not (just) compositional process,
the
> use of the actual pianos in question is essential, especially when
> they were made available for the month prior. But Rice people keep
busy.
>
> AT ANY RATE; I should like to now extend an invitation to all the
> world's composer-types; a CALL for SCORES. Music may be scored for
one
> or two of the pianos (1-4 hands) and any additional one or two
> instruments, provided that Rice has them (inquire if curious).
>
> The layout of the two pianos in 17 is simple: following the
> circle-of-fifths naming system for 17, the white keys of both pianos
> are tuned to the same (superpythagorean) C major scale. The piano
> called "flat" has black keys tuned to Db Eb Gb Ab Bb; the one called
> "sharp" has C# D# F# G# A#. 7+5+5=17. Remember, C# is HIGHER than
> Db! The setup has been to set the two pianos at a right angle, with
> flats on the left, sharps on the right.
>
> Scores need to be in printable and legible. It is highly encouraged
> that you know what the music will sound like before you submit. If
you
> wish to compose in 17 but have no way to hear it yet, we can talk
> about that. And I can give you my take on 17's harmonic and melodic
> possibilities, take it or leave it.
>
> Submissions shall be DUE MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2006 to MYSELF in some
way
> or another. Address:
>
> 17 tone piano project
> c/o Jacob Barton
> 9 Sunset Blvd. MS-709
> Houston, TX 77005
>
> or email address: udderbot at gmail dot com.
>
> Why then? Well, because the concert is planned for TUESDAY,
SEPTEMBER
> 26, 2006. And if we want to have actual piano majors playing, unlike
> last time, well, they like to have a little notice.
>
> DISCLAIMER: the 17-tone piano project is in no way affiliated with
> Rice University. it is not even an official Shepherd School of Music
> event, not being a senior or junior or masters or doctoral or
> faculty-sponsored recital. heck, it could completely fall through.
but
> don't let that stop you.
>
> Questions? Ask away.
>

🔗Keenan Pepper <keenanpepper@...>

🔗threesixesinarow <CACCOLA@...>

🔗hstraub64 <hstraub64@...>

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Yahya Abdal-Aziz" <yahya@...>
wrote:
>
> Jacob Barton wrote on Sat May 20, 2006:
> >
> > AT ANY RATE; I should like to now extend an invitation to all the
> > world's composer-types; a CALL for SCORES. Music may be scored for
> > one or two of the pianos (1-4 hands) and any additional one or two
> > instruments, provided that Rice has them (inquire if curious).
> >
> > The layout of the two pianos in 17 is simple: following the
> > circle-of-fifths naming system for 17, the white keys of both
> > pianos are tuned to the same (superpythagorean) C major scale.
> > The piano called "flat" has black keys tuned to Db Eb Gb Ab Bb;
> > the one called "sharp" has C# D# F# G# A#. 7+5+5=17. Remember,
> > C# is HIGHER than Db! The setup has been to set the two pianos at
> > a right angle, with flats on the left, sharps on the right.
> >
> > Scores need to be in printable and legible.

GREAT idea!!

Question about the scores: Are there some conventions established
about where flats and sharps are to be notated? It might be, e.g.,
that the "flat" instrument part must contain only flats and the
"sharp" instrument part only sharps - OTOH, it does not really matter
for pianos, so notation could be according to liking or logical
appearance.

> >
> > Questions? Ask away.
>
> ... or by having the exact tuning specification.
> Did you give that somewhere already? If not,
> please let's have a scala .scl -format file.
> I know you said superpyth + flats & sharps,
> but how flat are the flats, & how sharp the
> sharps?
>

I just retuned my synth to 17EDO, as follows:

Note Cents Difference to 12EDO (whole cents)
-----+---------+--------------------------------
C 0.00 0
Db 70.59 -29
C# 141.18 +41
D 211.76 +12
Eb 282.35 -18
D# 352.94 +53
E 423.53 +24
F 494.12 - 6
Gb 564.71 -35
F# 635.29 +35
G 705.88 + 6
Ab 776.47 -24
G# 847.06 -47
A 917.65 +18
Bb 988.24 -12
A# 1058.82 +59
B 1129.41 +30
C 1200.00 0

Funny thing - it sounded much better than I had imagined! Just keeping
away from the thirds...
--
Hans Straub

🔗Herman Miller <hmiller@...>

🔗Keenan Pepper <keenanpepper@...>

🔗daniel_anthony_stearns <daniel_anthony_stearns@...>

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "J.Smith" <jsmith9624@...>
wrote:
>
>
>
> --- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, Herman Miller <hmiller@>
> wrote:
>
> > Yes, the "major" thirds are pretty spicy (423.5 cents). They're
okay
> > when used sparingly for a harsh effect. I actually like
the "minor"
> > thirds of 17-ET (282.4 cents), on the other hand; they have a nice
> > "dark" feel to them. And the "neutral" thirds (352.9 cents) have a
> > pretty interesting flavor as well.
>
>
>
>
> I used a selection of nine pitches from 17-edo in my "9 Of 17"
> composition (see message #12633). All three types of thirds were
used.
>
> http://artistgigs.com/song.pl?id=7544
> <http://artistgigs.com/song.pl?id=7544>
>
> I'm working to have a little something written up for Jacob's
concert,
> and hope many others on the list will bless his event with new
music,
> too.
>
>
>
> Regards,

me too and me too

🔗Gene Ward Smith <genewardsmith@...>

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, Herman Miller <hmiller@...> wrote:
>
> hstraub64 wrote:
>
> > Funny thing - it sounded much better than I had imagined! Just keeping
> > away from the thirds...
>
> Which thirds? :-)
>
> Yes, the "major" thirds are pretty spicy (423.5 cents). They're okay
> when used sparingly for a harsh effect. I actually like the "minor"
> thirds of 17-ET (282.4 cents), on the other hand; they have a nice
> "dark" feel to them.

Those are only a cent away from 20/17, which is sort of a classic
interval in that it forms part of the 17-limit JI interpretation of
what a diminished seventh is supposed to be.

And the "neutral" thirds (352.9 cents) have a
> pretty interesting flavor as well.

Stack three 4/17 "dark" minor thirds and a 5/17 neutral third, and you
have yourself a chord. If only you had a good major triad to resolve
it to--but wait! There's 34-et!

seventeen-tone piano project: call for scores

🔗Jacob <jbarton@...>

🔗Yahya Abdal-Aziz <yahya@...>

🔗daniel_anthony_stearns <daniel_anthony_stearns@...>

🔗Keenan Pepper <keenanpepper@...>

🔗threesixesinarow <CACCOLA@...>

🔗hstraub64 <hstraub64@...>

🔗Herman Miller <hmiller@...>

🔗Keenan Pepper <keenanpepper@...>

🔗daniel_anthony_stearns <daniel_anthony_stearns@...>

🔗Gene Ward Smith <genewardsmith@...>

🔗Kraig Grady <kraiggrady@...>

🔗Jacob <jbarton@...>

🔗Jacob <jbarton@...>