Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup makemicromusic Re: gamut confusion

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "X. J .Scott" <xjscott@e...> wrote:
> more on my search to find if 'variable gamut tuning'
> describes the cool new thing possible with single-note
> realtime retuning messages...
>
> --
>
>
> Here is a documentation page for SuperCollider which
> takes files that are like object oriented csound or
> something:
>
> http://www.audiosynth.com/schtmldocs/Documentation/Stre
> ams-Patterns-Events/Streams-Patterns-Events_5.html
>
> It talks about gamut in a weird way that doesn't yet
> make sense to be.
>
> Oh and on their main pagce they have a link to Gary
> Morrison's home page... huh!
>
> --
>
> http://www.sankey.ws/byrd.html
>
> says:
>
> >The gamut, or scale, of medieval times was based on
hexachords
> - 6 notes. Pieces with this title were written to
> display the inventiveness of the composer with the
> whole gamut. I play this one at the tempo appropriate
> for the large harpsichords of the time, such as the
> "payer of virginalles in one coffer with iiij stoppes"
> bought by Henry VIII in 1530, three years before his
> daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth I, was born.
>
> --
>
> http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&v
> a=gamut
>
> >Etymology: Medieval Latin gamma, lowest note of a medieval
> scale (from Late Latin, 3d letter of the Greek
> alphabet) + ut ut
> Date: 15th century
> 1 : the whole series of recognized musical notes
> 2 : an entire range or series <ran the gamut from
> praise to contempt>
> synonym see RANGE
>
> and the thesaurus for 'range' has the note:
>
> >GAMUT suggests a graduated series running from one
possible
> extreme to another <a performance that ran the gamut of
> emotions>
>
> --
>
> here's a web site about appalachian tunings!
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~llywarch/gamut.html
>
> Which says:
>
> >The Anhemitonic Gamut
> >with Variable Auxiliary Tones Shown in Parentheses
>
> Er, Ok...
>
> So it means 'scale'? How is it different from scale
> anyway, if at all?
>
> Or does it mean 'a tuning'?
>
> Hm, at that site is:
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~llywarch/scl01.html.htm
>
> >J. Marshall Bevil,
> "Scale in Southern Appalachian Folksong:
> a Reexamination," College Music
> Symposium 26 (1986): 77-91
>
> >-------------------------------------------------------
>
> > This study summarizes the author's position regarding
> > pitch-selection in American southern uplands folktune
> > centonization. Initial attention is given to select earlier
> > views that bore upon the emergence of the present one, and
> > the remainder of the paper is devoted to concepts and
> > approaches that differ, in some ways markedly, from
previous
> > ideas and methods. The ideas set forth in this paper were
> > originally presented in the author's dissertation (University
> > of North Texas, 1984).
>
> > The anhemitonic pentatonic scales of British Insular and
> > Insular-American folksong usually are presented as five
> > separate octave divisions that contain minor-third gaps
> > caused by the absence of notes from the traditional Western
> > heptatonic modes. This paper states and defends the
> > propositions 1) that the anhemitonic system is better viewed
> > as a single gamut of five overlapping segments (see table,
> > below); 2) that those scales are not incomplete heptatonic
> > series; and 3) that the so-called missing tones should be
> > viewed and treated as variable auxiliary gamut members
> > whenever they occur. Those conclusions are based partly on
an
> > interpretation of early Celtic theory; but more importantly,
> > they are rooted in the behavior of preserved melodies.
>
> > ... more fun stuff blah blah
>
> Wow! Who knew we hillbillies was so serfisticated!
>
> > Finally, in some instances the gamut re-crystalizes at a
> > different level when an auxiliary tone assumes the character
> > of a regular gamut member. Here again, it seems that this
> > modulatory process, which in the present study is termed
> > gamut shift, should be explained in melodic, rather than
> > harmonic, terms.
>
> Er, ok, so is that clear now? (it's not to me...)
>
> --
>
> This is sort of helpful in explaining the confusion:
>
> http://www.twc.it/gamut.html
>
> > Another such word is gamut, and we will look at a sample of
> > gamut in the datafile - see Gamut Set One (gamut1.html).
This
> > is a rather uncommon word, with hardly any of its "own"
> > meaning in current English. If you look up an old-fashioned
> > dictionary, you may be told that gamut used to refer to a
> > musical scale that had 14 notes rather than the seven that is
> > normal in the musical traditions of Europe - double the
> > number in an octave. As you study the examples, consider if
> > there is any of that meaning left in the phrase.
>
> --
>
> OK, I'll give Monzo the final word on 'gamut' itself as
> he seems to have it nailed:
>
> http://www.ixpres.com/interval/dict/gamut.htm
>
> Still not sure about 'variable' vs 'fixed'...
>
> - Jeff

Hi Jeff you ask how gamut is different from scale. The term
gamut has always meant the some toatal of notes available to a
composer. I.e Partcch had a gamut of 43 notes he did not use
them all though in every composition, he would play a scale or
melodic fragment etc. The gamut traditionally used is 12 notes
per octave. In some circumstances a composer may decide to
further limit their gamut before they have composed anything.

For instance I may decide to use a major scale as my gamut for
a composition or for a lifetime of composition. But perhaps in
actual practice I never ever use the fifth note ! That not is still part
of my gamut though.

I think you know what it means Jeff you seem to be trying to
comfuse yourself ! : )

Justin

Re: gamut confusion

🔗jpehrson2 <jpehrson@...>

🔗justintonation <JUSTINTONATION@...>