Roland key tuning

Both my el-cheapo Yamaha and a more professional Roland at the studio have the capability to tune each of the twelve keys in each octave within a range of ±64 cents.

In the manual for the Roland keyboard, it showed a setup for just temperament in C and something called an "Arabian tuning" (for the keys of C, G and D). I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with this, and if this has anything to do with 17-tone scales or a maqam name ungiven.

--- In tuning@y..., "Danny Wier" <dawier@y...> wrote:
> Both my el-cheapo Yamaha and a more professional Roland at the
studio have the capability to tune each of the twelve keys in each
octave within a range of ±64 cents.
>
> In the manual for the Roland keyboard, it showed a setup for just
temperament in C and something called an "Arabian tuning" (for the
keys of C, G and D). I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with
this, and if this has anything to do with 17-tone scales or a maqam
name ungiven.

Hi Danny,

"Arabian tuning" generally just lowers a couple of the notes by 50
cents. It's used for a wide range of maqamat, including all the
common ones -- you'll see this happening if you look at any band that
plays middle-eastern music and has a synth player. By "17-tone
scales" you could be referring to either (a) the medieval Arabic
tunings, which have nothing to do with modern Arabic music, or (b)
some theorists' description of Arabic music as using 17-tone equal
temperament, which happens to be quite close to 24-tone equal
temperament for the common maqamat.

-Paul

Thanks Paul, the tuning assignments were slight for most notes but close to
quarter-tone for the neutral thirds. I just tune two notes 50 cents up or
down for convenience, or play a quarter-tone on my fretless bass. (suddenly
dreaming of a Kingsma flute....)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Erlich" <paul@stretch-music.com>
To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2001 9:47 PM
Subject: [tuning] Re: Roland key tuning

"Arabian tuning" generally just lowers a couple of the notes by 50
cents. It's used for a wide range of maqamat, including all the
common ones -- you'll see this happening if you look at any band that
plays middle-eastern music and has a synth player. By "17-tone
scales" you could be referring to either (a) the medieval Arabic
tunings, which have nothing to do with modern Arabic music, or (b)
some theorists' description of Arabic music as using 17-tone equal
temperament, which happens to be quite close to 24-tone equal
temperament for the common maqamat.

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--- In tuning@y..., "Danny Wier" <dawier@y...> wrote:

> Thanks Paul, the tuning assignments were slight for most notes but
close to
> quarter-tone for the neutral thirds.

Can you give the exact numbers?