Thanks for the kind words. I have so many ideas that some of them have to be right.
I don't think there's much danger of 19-tone tyrannizing over music any time soon, given the immense problems in the way of redesigning instruments, etc and the inertia of the music world.
Still, I honestly think the 12-tone equal will continue its miserable progress unless someone finds some alternate 'tyranny'. Think of it as giving an American president dictatorial powers so he can fight a Hitler or a Stalin.
Also, I've noticed that quite a few of the microtonalists get very uneasy if someone points out the rather evident deficiencies of 12-tone equal - apparently they want to be very daring and all, and play around with something that makes the dog howl like 13-tone equal or whatever, but when the crunch comes, it's back to the aweful, beloved 12 tones. My favorite example is that theorist - who shall be nameless - who examined hundreds of equal temperaments, then twisted himself into knots to find some mathematical wil-o'-the-wisp (the 45th partial or whatever) that would let him triumphantly announce that 12-tone equal was amazingly special after all!
You are right that rock music uses all kinds of intonations. But I have been able to notate the rock melodies I hear much better in 19-tone than in any other system I've tried. Not that I've notated hundreds of them or anything - life just isn't long enough to do everything I ought to do.
It always annoys me when I see some piece of non-Western vocal music notated in 12-tone equal - I _know_ the result is just a travesty of the original.
Received: from ns.ezh.nl ([137.174.112.59]) by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA SMTP v4.6 (462.2 9-3-1997)) with SMTP id C1256571.0020DEEA; Thu, 18 Dec 1997 07:00:58 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA18690; Thu, 18 Dec 1997 07:01:13 +0100 Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 07:01:13 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA18685 Received: (qmail 23495 invoked from network); 17 Dec 1997 22:01:10 -0800 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 17 Dec 1997 22:01:10 -0800 Message-Id: <01bd0b77$01c148e0$675e04c7@default> Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
On 12/17/97 Bob Lee said: >JI is called "tuning the beats out" by some steel guitarists, and "temper >tuning" by others. 12TET actually is called "equal tempered" more often >than not, but I also hear it called "straight up" sometimes (in reference to >the needle on an electronic tuner). > Very cool & very perceptive terminology! This is another example where the academic world (those who traditionally write the books that create the next wave of perceived "truth") needs to listen to the music makers (those who actually make it all happen). Luckily, more and more, and esp. in this area, many of us cover both worlds.
>The idea of more than 12 tones per octave is alien to most steel guitarists, >as it is to pop musicians in general. Our biggest concern is not sounding >out of tune with the electronic keyboard and other electric instruments. >But at the same time most of us can't bear equal temperament - our >instruments can sound so much better than that! > Exceptional! I repeat my belief that steel guitar players are among the highest level of performers, and sadly much overlooked by the world outside of country. In terms of sheer manual technique, I bow to the steel player any day! As a string player (bass, viola) I can move both hands at the same time, and more or less dress myself each morning. But I can't even come close to the physical focus & control of a top-notch steel player...... Then, the tuning possibilities: multiple necks (diff. tuning worlds to start with), many strings per neck, steel slide + knee portamento: WOW! that's an instrument for us to all consider!!!!!!!!!!!! -- Brian Belet bbelet@sjsuvm1.sjsu.edu
Received: from ns.ezh.nl ([137.174.112.59]) by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA SMTP v4.6 (462.2 9-3-1997)) with SMTP id C1256572.006168BC; Fri, 19 Dec 1997 18:45:54 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA18829; Fri, 19 Dec 1997 18:46:10 +0100 Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 18:46:10 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA18843 Received: (qmail 10091 invoked from network); 19 Dec 1997 09:45:56 -0800 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 19 Dec 1997 09:45:56 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu