Re:

>From: Jim Savage <waldpond@oanet.com>
>
>
>John Link wrote:
>>>I presume you use a 7/4 ratio for the G7 minor7th because it's the 7th
>>>harmonic of G, no?
>>
>>Yes. Anything else would be out of tune.
>
>Sorry, I should have elaborated. Pardon my ignorance, but I don't
>understand, unless it's voice leading considerations (?), but the minor 7th
>in the Dmin7 chord is in tune at 9/5. There'st more stuff on the web I
>should read before asking more inane questions in this direction, but all
>suggestions of good reading on why certain ratios are best in one chord and
>not another would be most welcome.

Yes, C as 9/5 relative to D is in tune in D-7 in the key of C. That's
because D-7 is a elaborated version, or extension, of the basic subdominant
F major triad, and D is added to the F triad in such a way as to make a
minor triad with the F and A as they are already tuned in the F triad. On
the other hand F is added to the dominant G triad in such a way as to make
the new chord less stable, or more tense, than the G major triad. If F were
tuned as 9/5 relative to G, the G7 chord would be too stable for its
purpose of drawing us back to the tonic C. At some time in the near future
I will write about cases where the 7th in a dominant chord tunes other than
as 7/4 relative to the root. The examples will be different from those
we've discussed in the past few days.

>>>Comments?
>>
>>Get yourself some singers. Or, take a look at www.justonic.com for some
>>software that I think might do what you want.
>
>Unfortunately Justonic won't integrate into my system at all (doesn't
>support my synths, runs on a different platform than my sequencer, etc.),
>otherwise I'ld experiment with it.
>
>But my biggest interest is to understand whatever theory there is behind
>tuning, at least as far as there are physical reasons for some things
>sounding good and others sounding like they should change soon - up to the
>point where it turns into individual aesthetics, cultures, etc. (which I'm
>getting the impression happens fairly quickly :)). All references greatly
>welcomed (I've got lots of URLs from this group and searching the web, but
>if anybody has compiled a list that would be great).

I intend to write extensively about this topic. Until I do, I suggest that
you pick up Gerald Eskelin's "Lies My Music Teacher Told Me", which I think
that you will find helpful and provocative. Eskelin's website is

http://home.earthlink.net/~stg3music/

Also, "The Story of Harmony" by Rex Wyler and Bill Gannon looks good from
glancing at it today (it just arrived). That book is available at
www.justonic.com.

John Link
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