For Latchezar Dimitrov

Hello, Latchezar Dimitrov and everyone, and I would like to offer to join
in the discussions I've seen about topics like the distinction between C#
and Db, approaching this problem from the viewpoint of my own experience.

The practical reality is that in the tuning systems I typically use for
practical musicmaking, with a few exceptions, C# and Db are separate
notes, and that in tunings for 17 or 24 notes, for example, they are often
both present on the keyboard, so that I can hear the difference.

In some tunings, for example 17-tone equal temperament or 17-tET, the step
Db-C# may actually serve as an ascending semitone in a regular cadence,
much like B-C or E-F. For example, using C4 as middle C, with the numbers
showing octaves (higher numbers, higher notes), this could be a standard
cadence:

Db4 C#4
Ab3 G#3
Fb3/D#3 C#3

In the kind of style, a usual cadence often has a major third expanding to
a fifth, and a major sixth expanding to an octave -- and in 17-tET, there
are equivalences such as D#3=Fb3, but Db4 is a usual semitone of 1/17
octave below C#4, just as Ab3 is a semitone below G#3. These are the
diatonic or small semitones of about 71 cents, in contrast to a large
semitone of 2/17 octave or about 141 cents such as C-C# or Db-D.

What I want to emphasize is that this is not just a matter or theory, it
is a matter of practical musicmaking and keyboard playing. My own approach
is to have a C# on one keyboard and a Db on another, but with a more
sophisticated type of keyboard design both could be present on a single
keyboard manual, for example.

A difficulty of this kind of discussion is that a few minutes at any
actual keyboard instrument with both C# and Db would explain much more
than any theory read apart from such an experience.

By the way, may I invite anyone fluent in Russian, or some other useful
exchange language, to translate what I say so that it may be more
intelligible, and also, from you Latchezar or anyone, any questions.

Thank you for raising basic and important questions, ones one encourage me
to focus on concrete musical experience.

Most appreciatively,

Margo Schulter
mschulter@value.net