For a Fist Full of Microtones - For a Few Microtones More

Paul Erlich, Dan Stearns and friends,

I have uploaded one of my guitar pieces to:

http://www.geocities.com/jacky_ekstasis/MP3/

Download the file: "Blue_Jacky_Ligon.mp3" (7.95 mb)

"Blue" is all played on 12 tET electric guitars (I also play bass
guitar on this piece), but has a plenty of microtonal inflections.
Rather than it being in a deliberate microtonal tuning; 12 tET here
becomes a springboard for - what I like to think of as - "free
intonation". Where one just plays what feels/sounds right, which more
often than not, isn't in strict 12 tET, but kind of hovers around it.
It's a personal goal to someday afford microtonal guitar gear, so
that it can be in a tuning that I prefer. The reason that I don't
have guitar in more compositions is due to this reality.

Sometimes it's unfortunate how the mp3 encoding process will subtlety
degrade the quality of CD audio, but I think the fidelity will be
acceptable. Some of the parts where I over-dub the guitars up to 8
times, do not have the definition that I hear with the CD audio.

Let me know what you think - even if you hate it. Would be
particularly interested in your opinion Dan, as I must bow deeply to
your guitar prowess (which I've been hip to since the mid 90s).

Thanks,

Jacky Ligon

> I have uploaded one of my guitar pieces to:
>
> http://www.geocities.com/jacky_ekstasis/MP3/

Hi Jacky,

I'd love to check it out, but I tried twice and both times, after
about twenty minutes of downloading, I got a 'this page cannot be
displayed' type message...

--Dan Stearns

Me too. Try posting to MP3.COM. They have been great for my stuff.
Plus, if you get enough people to listen, they pay you money. I've
reached the $3.37 level in only two years! It can only get better than
Geocities.

Prent Rodgers
Mercer Island, WA

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "D.Stearns" <STEARNS@C...> wrote:
> > I have uploaded one of my guitar pieces to:
> >
> > http://www.geocities.com/jacky_ekstasis/MP3/
>
> Hi Jacky,
>
> I'd love to check it out, but I tried twice and both times, after
> about twenty minutes of downloading, I got a 'this page cannot be
> displayed' type message...
>
> --Dan Stearns

Prent, Dan, Paul and friends:

My humblest apologies to all who were inconvenienced by the inability
to download my guitar piece from Geocities. So much for spontaneity!

Prent, I have taken your suggestion, and have set up a page on
MP3.com for sharing tunes. I think they will have a superior server
for our purposes. It has taken a full four days for my piece to be
approved. I'm very happy to hear about the financial success on
mp3.com : ) ! Surely, I have helped contribute to this, as I have
frequented your page on numerous occasions. And here I must use
the "word" (avoided by many), to describe my listening experience
there: "beautiful" (Jung would've probably called it an "emotionally
toned" experience). Need I say more?

For those who might care to listen to a microtonally deprived
(depraved?) guitarist, attempt to get some microtones out of twelve
tone guitars, go here:

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/185/jacky_ligon.html

Comments, clichés and criticism welcome.

Thanks,

Jacky Ligon

P.S. It seems kind of ironic somehow to put forth 12 tET music in a
forum such as the Tuning List (especially since I've not been
actively working in "12" for a long time), but I think you'll agree
that the approach does fit the criteria - and really it's just a demo
piece anyway. It could serve as a kind of "before and after"
snapshot - when I can lay my hands on a fretless! My fantasy fretless
would have both humbucking and single-coil pickups, as I love to
blend these two kinds of pick-up sounds (as this piece demonstrates).

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "Prent Rodgers" <prodgers@a...> wrote:
> Me too. Try posting to MP3.COM. They have been great for my stuff.
> Plus, if you get enough people to listen, they pay you money. I've
> reached the $3.37 level in only two years! It can only get better
than
> Geocities.
>
> Prent Rodgers
> Mercer Island, WA
>
>
>
> --- In tuning@egroups.com, "D.Stearns" <STEARNS@C...> wrote:
> > > I have uploaded one of my guitar pieces to:
> > >
> > > http://www.geocities.com/jacky_ekstasis/MP3/
> >
> > Hi Jacky,
> >
> > I'd love to check it out, but I tried twice and both times, after
> > about twenty minutes of downloading, I got a 'this page cannot be
> > displayed' type message...
> >
> > --Dan Stearns

Jacky Ligon wrote,

> go here:

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/185/jacky_ligon.html

Yeah, very nice Jacky... and yes, I really do think that this sort of
an approach would sound all the more cool on the fretless! This would
also sort of also enable you to eventually merge this approach
intonationally with that of your TuningPunk pieces -- assuming that
were indeed a desirable thing for you of course.

--Dan Stearns

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "D.Stearns" <STEARNS@C...> wrote:

http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/16009

> Jacky Ligon wrote,
>
> > go here:
>
> http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/185/jacky_ligon.html
>
> Yeah, very nice Jacky... and yes, I really do think that this sort
of
> an approach would sound all the more cool on the fretless! This
would
> also sort of also enable you to eventually merge this approach
> intonationally with that of your TuningPunk pieces -- assuming that
> were indeed a desirable thing for you of course.
>
> --Dan Stearns

Actually, I was struck with the similarity between this more "pop"
piece by Jacky and his other works. There is a very clear and
recognizable style at work here...
___________ ____ __ __ _
Joseph Pehrson

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "D.Stearns" <STEARNS@C...> wrote:
http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/16009
> Jacky Ligon wrote,
>
> > go here:
>
> http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/185/jacky_ligon.html
>
> Yeah, very nice Jacky... and yes, I really do think that this sort
of
> an approach would sound all the more cool on the fretless! This
would
> also sort of also enable you to eventually merge this approach
> intonationally with that of your TuningPunk pieces -- assuming that
> were indeed a desirable thing for you of course.
>
> --Dan Stearns

Also, notice the EXCEPTIONAL sound quality and audio processing in
this tune. Jacky really knows his stuff!
___________ ___ __ _
Joseph Pehrson