New tune on MP3.com

Tuners,

I have a new microtonal piece on http://www.mp3.com/PrentRodgers
called MajorMinor. The piece is based on a discussion on the Tuning
list a few months ago on the feelings of the 1:1, 7:6, 3:2 minor
harmonies. I decided to study some of the "major" and "minor"
tonalities available in the tonality diamond.

I call the first chord subminor (1:1, 7:6, 3:2 from the otonality),
then minor (1:1, 6:5, 3:2 from the utonality), major (1:1, 5:4, 3:2
from the otonality) and supermajor (1:1, 9:7, 3:2 from the
utonality.) The progression keeps the first and fifth of the triad
constant, and only moves the third, from the lowest point in the
subminor (7:6), to the highest point in the supermajor (9:7), and
then back again. This gives an opportunity to study the major and
minor tonality choices up close.

One interesting aspect of this study is that it is tough to tell when
the progression goes from 7:6 to 6:5 or from 5:4 to 9:7, but very
easy to tell when it changes from 6:5 to 5:4 (minor to major). The
major tonality is distinct from the supermajor by virtue of the power
of the overtone series. The supermajor sounds weak by comparison.

Each progression also carries some extra notes along, from either its
otonality or utonality group in the tonality diamond.

The diamond I use looks like this:

11:8

9:8 11:10

7:4 9:5 11:6

3:2 7:5 3:2 11:7

5:4 6:5 7:6 9:7 11:9

1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1
x x x
8:5 5:3 12:7 14:9 18:11

4:3 10:7 4:3 14:11

8:7 10:9 12:11

16:9 20:11

16:11

Start at the third 1:1 from the left (abovce the x) and move up and
to the right for the subminor. Then start at the same 1:1, but move
up the the left for the minor. Then go to the first 1:1 on the left
(above the x), and move up and to the right for the major. Finally,
for the supermajor, move to the 5th 1:1 from the left (above the x),
and move up and to the left. As long as you are using those three
notes of the otonality or utonality, also extend the scale material
to the other notes of the respective tonality. Otonality goes up to
the right, down to the left. Utonality goes up to the left, down to
the right.

Melodic material and some harmonic material come from the six note
scale of the tonality. Most of the harmonic material is based on the
three notes of the triad. The subminor, minor, major, supermajor
chords are the prevalent harmonies. Hence the title of the piece:
MajorMinor

Rhythm is 3:4, divided up either 12 sixteenth notes, three quarter
notes, or 4 dotted eighth notes.

The piece is realized using Csound, and a sample based instrument
using samples from the McGill University Master Samples. This is an
amazing set of orchestral instruments assembled by the university
several years ago by some master musicians and technicians. Each
instrument is represented by 44kHz stereo samples of six different
notes per octave. The string section was very interesting to work
with, since it has samples for pizzacato, martele, vibrato, non-
vibrato, ensemble, and harmonics for bass, cello, viola, and violin.
I used mostly the pizz, martele, and harmonics.

Csound allows terrific control over the sound envelope (I use 18
different envelop patterns), stereo spacing, dynamics. Csound imposes
is no practical limit to the number of stereo 44kHz samples in a
single piece. I use 136 different samples, each one 50 to 100k in
size, chosen from 1300 different instrument samples in the McGill set.

The cello soloist (cello martele) plays with amazing power and
intensity, the other martele strings are crisp and sharp, and the
pizzicato playing would leave a normal string quartet with blistered
fingers. Thanks to the wonders of Csound, no one gets hurt, and they
all play in tune!

Prent Rodgers
Mercer Island, WA