Microtone questions

Hello
I am Alex P. from Greece(so forgive any spelling errors).
I play keyboards(acoustic and electric)
The reason I turned to microtones is because
for some time I felt that the music I listened seemed to follow
the same phrases,sequences,progresions.
I later learned about the keyboard temperaments , and thought that
the 12TET is my problem. Few tones to play with.
I have some questions for everybody out there kind enough to share his
knowledge.I need some direction(Books,web sites etc).
My questions are:
a)Which instruments are more practical to play alternate tunings on?
I am willing to learn a new instrument.I especially like brass instruments.
b)Can brass instruments play microtones?(I would apreciate some info
about how).
c)I like analog synths.What controlers can I use to play tunings like
24 or 31 tone? I find interesting the continuum fingerboard ,but I can't
find info on that.
Thank you all
Alex P.

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--- In tuning@egroups.com, "Alexandros Papadopoulos" <alexmoog@h...>
wrote:

http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/12022

> Hello
> I am Alex P. from Greece

> a)Which instruments are more practical to play alternate tunings on?
> I am willing to learn a new instrument.I especially like brass
instruments.
> b)Can brass instruments play microtones?(I would apreciate some
info about how).

Since brass instruments are based on the overtone series, they can
play "microtones" readily... since there is a whole series of "just"
pitches set up from the fundamental of each position. The only
problem is the fact that the performers learn NOT to play some of
these pitches.

I was fortunate in working with noted horn player, Francis Orval, now
living in Europe. He became interested in microtones after
performing Henri Pousseur's solo piece in just intonation. Orval
created a chart with ALL the harmonics from all the positions, not
only the ones close to 12-tET, which the players customarily use.

I wrote two pieces for him in just intonation... one for two horns
and a more virtuosic one for solo horn in just intonation, which
Orval premiered at Merkin Hall in New York.

If you are interested in this piece, it is available as a circulating
score at the New York Public Library, or you can order it through:

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/

Just search my name, Joseph Pehrson

Although I have not written for it in a microtonal capacity, the
trombone would be even more flexible, since the fundamental can be
altered continuously, with all the accompanying just overtone series.

Brass players, by the way, tend to be more interested in alternate
tunings than some other instrumentalists... so there can be more of a
rapport...
_____________ _____ ___ __ _
Joseph Pehrson

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "Alexandros Papadopoulos" <alexmoog@h...>
wrote:
> a)Which instruments are more practical to play alternate tunings on?

I can't improve on the many excellent responses. But I can add one
instrument that hasn't been suggested yet: Your voice.

Paolo

Alexandros Papadopoulos wrote:

> I later learned about the keyboard temperaments , and thought that
> the 12TET is my problem. Few tones to play with.

Alex,

I probably won't be only one to tell you that the problem with 12t-ET is not too few tones. There are some interesting and worthwhile tunings with as few as 5 tones per octave. Seven is plenty. The problem is only that Western musicians have largely forgotten that there is also music outside the 12t-ET frame of reference.

By the way, judging from your post, it seems that they teach English better in Greece than in America these days. :-)

--
David J. Finnamore
Nashville, TN, USA
http://members.xoom.com/dfinn.1
--