Re: [tuning] stick, microtonal possibilities

on 12/17/00 7:50 AM, tuning@egroups.com at tuning@egroups.com wrote:

> From: "D.Stearns" <STEARNS@CAPECOD.NET>
> Subject: Re: Re: Chapman Stick: Microtonal Possibilities?
>
> Jacky Ligon wrote,
>
> << As one can see, they really make this instrument cater to the 12tET
> target market. >>
>
> What other market is there! None, save a handful of malcontents,
> that'd be us, whom barely constitute a seconds thought when it comes
> to anything resembling a market.
>
> The day that a Tom Morello or a Bill Frisell ditch their twelve-tone
> equal temperament instruments for good, well then we might get a whiff
> of serious interest from some manufacturer with the all important
> qualifier -- real distribution...
>
> If blatantly, explicitly twelve-tone equal temperament instruments are
> hanging on the walls of all the music stores kids (and the curious)
> are gonna grab 'em and check them out. It can be no other way.

I wonder whether the current state of affairs is changing, however slowly.
Now that G&L is manufacturing different varieties of frettings on electric,
and G&L and Godin and Fernandes are selling fretless guitars, I can't help
but think that there will be more of a possibility that once a few of these
instruments are on the walls at music stores, a few more guitar players will
get curious and jump in.

>> Jacky Ligon wrote,

> This is also remarkable to me as well. Even the master 12 tET players
> that we know have explored microtonality - like Steve Vai - aren't
> doing anything of significance to draw an audience or musical
> instrument manufacturers to the cause. It was mentioned by Neil
> recently, that it was sad that McLaughlin has walked the 12 tET path
> even with his lifetime involvement with Indian music - now this *IS*
> indeed strange! Him of all people, to still embrace 12 tET this way
> will remain paradoxical to me for all my days.
>

This is where it gets difficult. Even with the number of great players that
HAVE explored microtonality or fretless, intelligent music by real
musicians/guitarists is a miniscule part of market share compared to the
drivel being sold as McMusic. I can think of a number of "known players"
who've used some level of microtonality in their music; Adrian Belew has
used fretless, McLaughlin when he used the scalloped fretboard acoustic in
Shakti, one of the Sonic Youth guitarists studied/played with Glenn Branca,
Matthew Monfort with Ancient Future, along with lots of others known to us
and not the larger market. Unfortunately, the market is still, and probably
will always be dominated by the status quo. It would have to be the guitar
equivalent of Kenny G using microtonality, and I'm not sure we even want to
go there...

> May the sexiest microtonalists among us please step forward -
> especially if you look good in high-heels!!! }: )
>

I look pretty decent (if I do say so) in a dress, but as a longtime
vegetarian feminist, I don't do fur or heels.

Seth

--
Seth Austen
http://www.sethausten.com
email; seth@sethausten.com

"i can't be the only whatever it is i am in the room"
-- Ani DiFranco

Seth Austen wrote:

> I wonder whether the current state of affairs is changing, however slowly.
> Now that G&L is manufacturing different varieties of frettings on electric,
> and G&L and Godin and Fernandes are selling fretless guitars, I can't help
> but think that there will be more of a possibility that once a few of these
> instruments are on the walls at music stores, a few more guitar players will
> get curious and jump in.

G&L just supplies the guitars with out fret slots, the
rest is done by FreeNote Music - http://microtones.com

--
* D a v i d B e a r d s l e y
* 49/32 R a d i o "all microtonal, all the time"
* http://www.virtulink.com/immp/lookhere.htm

--- In tuning@egroups.com, Seth Austen <acoustic@l...> wrote:

> Unfortunately, the market is still, and probably
> will always be dominated by the status quo. It would have to be the
guitar
> equivalent of Kenny G using microtonality, and I'm not sure we even
want to
> go there...

The challenge is indeed great. It is unfortunate that the "status
quo" is so spoon-fed by the packaging of pop music and art, which
falls into the insidious category of practice, of subjugating just
about everything that is sacred to human nature (e.g. sex, love,
images of success) to perpetuate itself and the spirit of self
obsessed materialism that rules our land. This is why I've been on a
conscious boycott of TV since age 18, and I rather listen to a good
Orchestra of Monkeys playing a Concerto for Trashcan, than to be
forced to listen to the banality that is pop radio.

When one searches their heart for the truths about music (and life),
instead of letting the "Big Corpo" content controlling media tell you
what's the in vogue flavors and haircuts of the day, then one is able
to tap into the elemental forms which are timeless - like the musical
archetypes of "intonation".

>
> > May the sexiest microtonalists among us please step forward -
> > especially if you look good in high-heels!!! }: )
> >
> I look pretty decent (if I do say so) in a dress, but as a longtime
> vegetarian feminist, I don't do fur or heels.
>

Well I'm afraid I will be of little use to the cause here, since I
look like Leonid Breznef's twin brother, and my legs have been
mistaken for fur, I think it's best if I stay out of the microtonal
limelight, whether in dress, heels or thong!

Jacky Ligon