TUNING digest 935

Hey yall,
I've been experimenting (with what limited computer knowledge i have) with
playing microtones with my computer keyboard with Chipmunk Basic

5 rem partch's 5-limit scale (13 tones, no tritone)
7 rem imagine z to be note a (concert a)
10 a$ inkey$
20 print a$
30 if a$ "z" then goto 40 else goto 130
40 sound 440,0.1,10
130 if a$ "s" then goto 140 else goto 230
140 sound 440*(16/15),0.1,10
230 if a$ "e" then goto 240 else goto 250
240 sound 440*(27/25),0.1,10
250 if a$ "d" then goto 260 else goto 270
260 sound 440*(9/8),0.1,10
270 if a$ "c" then goto 280 else goto 290
280 sound 528,0.1,10
290 if a$ "f" then goto 300 else goto 310
300 sound 528*(16/15),0.1,10
310 if a$ "t" then goto 320 else goto 330
320 sound (528*10/9),0.1,10
330 if a$ "v" then goto 340 else goto 350
340 sound (528*9/8),0.1,10
350 if a$ "g" then goto 360 else goto 370
360 sound (528*6/5),0.1,10
370 if a$ "b" then goto 380 else goto 390
380 sound (528*5/4),0.1,10
390 if a$ "n" then goto 400 else goto 410
400 sound (528*4/3),0.1,10
410 if a$ "m" then goto 420 else goto 430
420 sound (528*3/2),0.1,10
430 if a$ "k" then goto 440 else goto 450
440 sound (528*8/5),0.1,10
450 if a$ "," then goto 460 else goto 470
460 sound (528*5/3),0.1,10
470 if a$ "l" then goto 480 else goto 490
480 sound (528*16/9),0.1,10
490 if a$ "p" then goto 500 else goto 510
500 sound (528*9/5),0.1,10
510 if a$ ";" then goto 520 else goto 530
>520 sound (528*15/8),0.1,10
>530 if a$ "/" then goto 540 else goto 550
>540 sound (528*2),0.1,10
>550 goto 10

This puts the mac into an infinite standby mode (if only I could figure out
how to get case statements to work). Well, the wheels started grinding and
I thought wouldn't it be great if midi was based on hz instead of it's
limiting protocol. Also, those dudes back about 200 years ago had it right
(if there's such a thing as right) when they rebuilt keyboards that had
more than 2 levels. Hell on any standard computer keyboard, one can use the
"zxcvbnm,./" level as a base and put small gradations going up diagonally
up to the "1234567890-level, not to mention octave transpositions
possible with the shift key. Is it possible to buy such a keyboard? Also, I
ran into the problem of not being able to play more than one note at a time
(bummer). Is it possible without MIDI and several channels? Just curious.

As an aside, I really think it's interesting how people in the microtuning
community are upset about Kronus doing Partchs works. It's funny how some
rare shining intellect comes along and tells the codifiers of knowledge
that they've gotton stuck in their reality system to the point where it is
almost like a straitjacket; and then after his death, people codify him. If
Kronus were all 7 years old, I'm positive that the "parents" (be they
"12TET is right for everyone" professors or caretakers of the Partch
legacy) would physically prevent those "upstart brats" from "vandalizing"
our religion. Partch made his own instruments because it was right for him,
he didn't want to create another entrenched system (he states this ethic
time and time again in his "Genesis.."). Sure he had certain ideas in mind
for the sound he wanted, but if someone can put a new spin on it using
shovels and drumsticks on an upside down porcelein toilet seat: MORE POWER
TO YOU. Partch constantly encouraged us to get off our "ahem" and make our
own music, our own instruments, our own scales, our own REALITY SYSTEMS.
Who really OWNS anything. I respect other people's work and don't plagurize
because I think life is full of so many infinite combinations of
expressions that it would be absurd to "steal" anothers ideas. I would feel
very pathetic if I had to copy the way I talk and walk from someone else.
At any rate, the universe is dynamic not static, all the sounds we hear
influence everything we do, a river can't be dammed up by sticks. Music is
part of that river. Why dam it up? Kronus will get thousands to hear music
they might never hear. And it's Kronus's interpretation, just like
everything in life is an interpretation. I think it's supremely BEAUTIFUL
that Partch's instruments will rot away in no time. I feel it is part of
his sense of humor in a sense for if his instruments would have been made
to be more permenant, then he would face the legacy of becoming another
dogmatic system.



Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl
with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Wed, 25 Dec 1996 15:44 +0100
Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA02800; Wed, 25 Dec 1996 15:47:17 +0100
Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA02799
Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI)
for id GAA08413; Wed, 25 Dec 1996 06:47:14 -0800
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 06:47:14 -0800
Message-Id:
Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu
Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu