back to list

Just Intonation in World Music

🔗sejic@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu (World Harmony Project Inc.)

8/7/1997 9:43:51 PM
>Date: Sat, 02 Aug 1997 15:18:42 -0300
>From: "Andrew L. Kaye"
>To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
>Subject: Re: World Harmony Project Tuning Digest 1145
>Message-ID: <33E37A02.6C76ED1B@multicomnet.com.br>

>I was interested in the comments of Denny Genovese, and the "World
>Harmony Project" he directs. I visited their site at
>http://www.afn.org/~sejic and found these comments: "JUST INTONATION is
>a musical term. It is the practice of tuning musical intervals by means
>of whole-number ratios of frequencies. This allows the production of
>chords and scales which are more resonant and have finer resolution than
>those produced in the more common, equal tempered tuning system. This is
>the natural tendency of singers, string players and any other musician
>who is not bound by the confines of frets or keys that force the use of
>non-just intervals. It is therefore the starting place from which all
>indigenous musical traditions began." [Italics mine]. I am wondering
>whether Denny or any other contributor to this list would be interested
>in providing evidence for these last statements, as they apply to all
>musicians in all societies at all times, from the beginning of human
>(and animal?) history. Thanks.

I wish to thank Mr. Kaye for bringing this point to our attention.
It is gratifying to me that someone not only had the interest to read our
web page but to question one of it's assertions. Your question has
stimulated discussion within our membership and has led us to make a
decision to modify the statement that you questioned.
What is not apparent with the present wording, is that while some
just intonation composers (including Erv Wilson, Warren Burt, Brian McLaren
and myself) often use unconventional intervals with higher numbers in the
ratios of their frequencies (and as David Canright has shown, even the
intervals of equal temperaments can be measured in terms of frequency
ratios), this is not the practice of most just intonation enthusiasts (The
usual approach being to use the smaller number ratios).
Also, while many musicians do strive for the most resonant
intonation of whatever intervals they may decide to use, this cannot be
shown to be universal.
So, thanks to your interest we are (at least for now) abandoning the
assertion that "It is therefore the starting place from which all indigenous
musical traditions began" and will modify our web page accordingly.



Best wishes,

Denny Genovese
Director

Southeast Just Intonation Center sejic@afn.org
World Harmony Project Inc.
PO Box 15464 http://www.afn.org/~sejic
Gainesville, FL 32604 USA



SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
From: Manuel.op.de.Coul@ezh.nl
Subject: web site
PostedDate: 08-08-97 18:24:11
SendTo: CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH
ReplyTo: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
$UpdatedBy: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH,CN=Manuel op de Coul/OU=AT/O=EZH
RouteServers: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=notesrv1/OU=Server/O=EZH
RouteTimes: 08-08-97 18:24:17-08-08-97 18:24:18,08-08-97 18:22:46-08-08-97 18:22:46
DeliveredDate: 08-08-97 18:22:46
Categories:
$Revisions:

Received: from ns.ezh.nl by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA v1.1 (385.6 5-6-1997)) with SMTP id
C12564ED.005A1901; Fri, 8 Aug 1997 18:24:06 +0200
Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA06432; Fri, 8 Aug 1997 18:24:11 +0200
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 18:24:11 +0200
Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA06421
Received: (qmail 3145 invoked from network); 8 Aug 1997 16:24:05 -0000
Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1)
by localhost with SMTP; 8 Aug 1997 16:24:05 -0000
Message-Id:
Errors-To: madole@mills.edu
Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu