to Joe Pehrson(books)

***Stephen, we are happy to see that you have now achieved "Scala
immortality..." :)

J. Pehrson

Stephen writes:::::::::::

I'm very happy with the Szpak Scale (on paper). Hopefully it will be used by others. Con-
sidering all the 12 EDO notes are there, it has that going for it.

The book Tonal Harmony in Concept and Practice (Allen Forte) that has been recommended
on the list is within my library system. The books I have now are Music Theory Vol 1 and 2
by Earl Henry. Most references in the books are not of contemporary music and there is
extensive use of Roman numerals. Is the Allen Forte book much the same in these 2 ways?

stephen_szpak@hotmail.com

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--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Stephen Szpak" <stephen_szpak@h...>

/tuning/topicId_51515.html#51515

wrote:
>
> ***Stephen, we are happy to see that you have now achieved "Scala
> immortality..." :)
>
> J. Pehrson
>
> Stephen writes:::::::::::
>
> I'm very happy with the Szpak Scale (on paper). Hopefully it
will be
> used by others. Con-
> sidering all the 12 EDO notes are there, it has that going for
it.
>
> The book Tonal Harmony in Concept and Practice (Allen Forte)
that has
> been recommended
> on the list is within my library system. The books I have now
are Music
> Theory Vol 1 and 2
> by Earl Henry. Most references in the books are not of
contemporary
> music and there is
> extensive use of Roman numerals. Is the Allen Forte book much
the same
> in these 2 ways?
>

***Yes, but it's important to understand traditional tonal music
theory before going on to contemporary or microtonal theory. At
least that's my *personal* believe...

J. Pehrson

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Stephen Szpak" <stephen_szpak@h...>
>
> /tuning/topicId_51515.html#51515
>
>
> wrote:
> >
> > ***Stephen, we are happy to see that you have now achieved "Scala
> > immortality..." :)
> >
> > J. Pehrson
> >
> > Stephen writes:::::::::::
> >
> > I'm very happy with the Szpak Scale (on paper). Hopefully it
> will be
> > used by others. Con-
> > sidering all the 12 EDO notes are there, it has that going
for
> it.
> >
> > The book Tonal Harmony in Concept and Practice (Allen Forte)
> that has
> > been recommended
> > on the list is within my library system. The books I have now
> are Music
> > Theory Vol 1 and 2
> > by Earl Henry. Most references in the books are not of
> contemporary
> > music and there is
> > extensive use of Roman numerals. Is the Allen Forte book much
> the same
> > in these 2 ways?
> >
>
> ***Yes, but it's important to understand traditional tonal music
> theory before going on to contemporary or microtonal theory. At
> least that's my *personal* believe...
>
> J. Pehrson

Stephen writes::::::::::::::::::

I can understand your view on that.
After I wrote this last night I remembered that I photocopied
some of Music in Theory and Practice 4th edition volume 1 by
Bruce Benward and Music Theory for the Music Professional by
Richard Sorce many months ago. Of course I have hardly looked
at the stuff. So I guess I have plenty of info now.
In case I ever get ambitious what would you say are the
2 or 3 most important things that I have to know perfectly well?
Thanks.

Stephen Szpak

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "stephenszpak" <stephen_szpak@h...>

/tuning/topicId_51515.html#51573

> Stephen writes::::::::::::::::::
>
> I can understand your view on that.
> After I wrote this last night I remembered that I photocopied
> some of Music in Theory and Practice 4th edition volume 1 by
> Bruce Benward and Music Theory for the Music Professional by
> Richard Sorce many months ago. Of course I have hardly looked
> at the stuff. So I guess I have plenty of info now.
> In case I ever get ambitious what would you say are the
> 2 or 3 most important things that I have to know perfectly well?
> Thanks.
>
> Stephen Szpak

***Paul Erlich also knows traditional theory *very* well, so he can
amend my comments... but I think, for one thing, you should
understand what are considered "traditional diatonic" chord
progressions, i.e. "functional harmony."

It's also important to understand the relationship of the harmonic
series in this (maybe the book by Mathieu would help ... I own it but
still haven't read it... ! :)

After doing that, and I would study "figured bass" and Roman Numeral
terminology as a part of this, you will be in a much better position
to analyze "progressions..."

I doubt very seriously, then, that you will make a selection of root
position triads and then ask us which series of them is the
most "consonant" progression... :)

J. Pehrson

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:

> It's also important to understand the relationship of the harmonic
> series in this (maybe the book by Mathieu would help ... I own it
but
> still haven't read it... ! :)

It's a wonderful read, but I find many flaws in it. Mathieu assumes
that each mode of the diatonic scale (in 12-equal) is heard as a
different, idiosyncratically-shaped JI structure. And that "comma
pumps" will be heard as JI progressions with one huge leap from one
end of the lattice to another at some specific point in the
progression. Both of these assumptions are highly unnecessary and
misleading, I think, if one views temperament correctly.

Monz's Tonalsoft software is really going to help people in this
department, and probably for many practical ends as well.

Not to mention that Mathieu allows the significance of meantone to
completely fall through the cracks, fostering the tired old "JI vs.
ET" mentality, where easily 1/3 of his book could -- and should --
have been devoted to meantone examples (just about anything from 1480-
1780 would fit the bill).