Question for Johnny Reinhard

Johnny, while you were gone, there was a lively discussion about the
difficulty of teaching 12-tET-trained musicians to play microtonal
music.

Two main suggestions were:

. Start, at least, by teaching musicians to hear, and to read,
72-tET.

. +/- cents deviation from either 12-tET or some division of it.

You have direct experience with the latter notation. Can you tell us
your assessment of how difficult it is for musicians new to
microtonality to learn?

Thanks!

JdL

John, I will respond again that it is not a problem to teach +/- cents
deviations on standard notation. I've worked with it for a decade. 72-tET
notation doesn't give accuracy in pitch frequency of enough intervals that I
cannot imagine using it. I'm sure it gives results for beginners who are
working within the "theory" of the 72-tET notation. Outside that theory, all
hell breaks loose.

The Johnston notation brings me actual complaints from players. Violist
Anastasia Solberg always goes by ratios when doing Partch on viola,
complaining that the Johnston notation takes too much time to calculate while
playing. It makes you slow down.

I have had the opportunity to direct full orchestras in microtonal
compositions, and +/- cents deviations is clear and precise. It is virtually
universal.

Thanks for asking!

Best, Johnny Reinhard

Hey Johnny,

do you write the cents deviation i.e. -17 or +10 right over the note? Or
as a key somewhere else i.e. all A flats are +18?

Thanks

GZ

Afmmjr@aol.com wrote:

> John, I will respond again that it is not a problem to teach +/- cents
>
> deviations on standard notation. I've worked with it for a decade.
> 72-tET
> notation doesn't give accuracy in pitch frequency of enough intervals
> that I
> cannot imagine using it. I'm sure it gives results for beginners who
> are
> working within the "theory" of the 72-tET notation. Outside that
> theory, all
> hell breaks loose.
>
> The Johnston notation brings me actual complaints from players.
> Violist
> Anastasia Solberg always goes by ratios when doing Partch on viola,
> complaining that the Johnston notation takes too much time to
> calculate while
> playing. It makes you slow down.
>
> I have had the opportunity to direct full orchestras in microtonal
> compositions, and +/- cents deviations is clear and precise. It is
> virtually
> universal.
>
> Thanks for asking!
>
> Best, Johnny Reinhard
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