Re: authors on tuning

In a message dated 11/30/1999 03:26:33 AM
From: "Groger c/o Warrior Productions Inc" <warriorprod@earthlink.net>
>
>Hi,
>
>I want to get more information about the subject tuning:
>Maybe someone can post information about authors/writers
>(partch?danielou?...) who
>are leaders in the subject of tuning/alternate tuning and about available
>sources:books/internet sites...

Here are 2 websites to begin with... both have massive listings of
resources...
AND these two websites have links to other websites:

XENTONAL ENGINES:
http://microtonal.lookscool.com/

JUST INTONATION NETWORK:
http://www.dnai.com/~jinetwk/

zHANg

Hi,

zANG posted the two internet sites regarding tuning for me. Thank you.
Still maybe you can help me and give me some names of "big" authors in the
field of
tuning. I just would like to have some direction and reliable material.

Thank you in advance,

Hendrik

Check out Easley Blackwood, "The structure of recognizable diatonic
tunings", published by someone I forget. Aside from Ben Johnston, he
probably knows more about tuning theory than anyone else in the U.S.
He is also a monster pianist and composer, just retired from U. of
Chicago.

In a message dated 12/01/1999 06:06:53 PM,
>From: "Groger c/o Warrior Productions Inc" <warriorprod@earthlink.net>
>
>Hi,
>
>zANG posted the two internet sites regarding tuning for me. Thank you.
>Still maybe you can help me and give me some names of "big" authors in the
>field of
>tuning. I just would like to have some direction and reliable material.

I think that the emphasis on "big" authors is rather canonical... &
comical.
But... if you are seeking informational resources...
John Chalmers on this list - jhchalmers@popmail.ucsd.edu -
wrote _Divisions of the Tetrachord_ , which is a major resource
(which I am trying to get myself)...
This is a resource up there with Lou Harrison's _Music Primer_. &
Partch's _Genesis of a Music_ .
For a good overall intro to the basics of just intonation (besides 12tET),
I think is _Harmonic Experience: Tonal Harmony from its Natural Origins
to its Modern Expression_ by W. A. Mathieu. Mathieu details the workings of
5 Limit JI in rather good detail... and dips into 7-prime ratios a bit.

zHANg ... not zANG

Benjamin R Sommer wrote,

>Check out Easley Blackwood, "The structure of recognizable diatonic
>tunings", published by someone I forget. Aside from Ben Johnston, he
>probably knows more about tuning theory than anyone else in the U.S.

That's a bit of an exaggeration. Blackwood is indeed very knowledgeable, his
book wonderful, and his compositions enjoyable, but I wouldn't make such a
blanket statement. Blackwood is very tied to a diatonic,
Western-conservatory-theory view of things. I'm sure Erv Wilson could
publish 50 volumes if he decided to present the ideas in his head in common
English; Sethares knows more about tuning to minimize critical-band
dissonance; Chalmers knows more about scale theory; and Reinhard's left
pinky knows more about microtonality than most people's brains.

As for Ben Johnston, what does his vast knowledge cover besides the theory
behind Partch's and his own compositions? No offense, but that's a rather
limited world. Even Johnston's notation is very specific to his own world
and quite at odds with the ideas presented in Blackwood's book.

>>
>>Hi,
>>
>>zANG posted the two internet sites regarding tuning for me. Thank you.
>>Still maybe you can help me and give me some names of "big" authors in the
>>field of
>>tuning. I just would like to have some direction and reliable material.
>
> I think that the emphasis on "big" authors is rather canonical... &
>comical.
>But... if you are seeking informational resources...
> John Chalmers on this list - jhchalmers@popmail.ucsd.edu -
>wrote _Divisions of the Tetrachord_ , which is a major resource
>(which I am trying to get myself)...
>This is a resource up there with Lou Harrison's _Music Primer_. &
>Partch's _Genesis of a Music_ .
> For a good overall intro to the basics of just intonation (besides 12tET),
>I think is _Harmonic Experience: Tonal Harmony from its Natural Origins
>to its Modern Expression_ by W. A. Mathieu. Mathieu details the workings of
>5 Limit JI in rather good detail... and dips into 7-prime ratios a bit.
>
> zHANg ... not zANG
>
thank you for the posting and sorry for the typo zHANg.

h.g.

On Wed, 1 Dec 1999, Paul H. Erlich wrote:

> From: "Paul H. Erlich" <PErlich@Acadian-Asset.com>
>
> Benjamin R Sommer wrote,
>
> >Check out Easley Blackwood, "The structure of recognizable diatonic
> >tunings", published by someone I forget. Aside from Ben Johnston, he
> >probably knows more about tuning theory than anyone else in the U.S.
>
> That's a bit of an exaggeration. Blackwood is indeed very
knowledgeable, his
> book wonderful, and his compositions enjoyable, but I wouldn't make such a
> blanket statement. Blackwood is very tied to a diatonic,
> Western-conservatory-theory view of things. I'm sure Erv Wilson could
> publish 50 volumes if he decided to present the ideas in his head in common
> English; Sethares knows more about tuning to minimize critical-band
> dissonance; Chalmers knows more about scale theory; and Reinhard's left
> pinky knows more about microtonality than most people's brains.
>
> As for Ben Johnston, what does his vast knowledge cover besides the theory
> behind Partch's and his own compositions? No offense, but that's a rather
> limited world. Even Johnston's notation is very specific to his own world
> and quite at odds with the ideas presented in Blackwood's book.
>
> > You do not need web access to participate. You may subscribe through
> email. Send an empty email to one of these addresses:
> tuning-subscribe@onelist.com - subscribe to the tuning list.
> tuning-unsubscribe@onelist.com - unsubscribe from the tuning list.
> tuning-digest@onelist.com - switch your subscription t
>

Try: Johnston and Blackwood know more about this crap than anyone still
"living" in the U.S. And last time I heard, Partch was sucking on six feet
of top soil. Oh, and not to get all anal about scholars' credentials and
such, but I know even more about tuning than Johnston or Blackwood, or all
you punks for that matter!

uh!

[Benjamin R Sommer:]
>Oh, and not to get all anal about scholars' credentials and such, but
I know even more about tuning than Johnston or Blackwood, or all you
punks for that matter!

> what a dick.

Oh boy...

If that's all that you can really muster in response to some (mildly)
disagreeable opinions points or comments, wouldn't you perhaps be
better off unsubscribing?

Give me a break!
Dan

Benjamin R Sommer wrote:

> Try: Johnston and Blackwood know more about this crap than anyone still
> "living" in the U.S. And last time I heard, Partch was sucking on six feet
> of top soil. Oh, and not to get all anal about scholars' credentials and
> such, but I know even more about tuning than Johnston or Blackwood, or all
> you punks for that matter!
>
> uh!

Prove it. Let's hear some of your music. Whip it out.

> --

* D a v i d B e a r d s l e y
* xouoxno@virtulink.com
*
* 49/32 R a d i o "all microtonal, all the time"
* M E L A v i r t u a l d r e a m house monitor
*
* http://www.virtulink.com/immp/lookhere.htm

On Thu, 2 Dec 1999, David Beardsley wrote:

> From: David Beardsley <xouoxno@home.com>
>
> Benjamin R Sommer wrote:
>
> > Try: Johnston and Blackwood know more about this crap than anyone still
> > "living" in the U.S. And last time I heard, Partch was sucking on six feet
> > of top soil. Oh, and not to get all anal about scholars' credentials and
> > such, but I know even more about tuning than Johnston or Blackwood, or all
> > you punks for that matter!
> >
> > uh!
>
> Prove it. Let's hear some of your music. Whip it out.
>
>
> > --
>
> * D a v i d B e a r d s l e y
> * xouoxno@virtulink.com
> *
> * 49/32 R a d i o "all microtonal, all the time"
> * M E L A v i r t u a l d r e a m house monitor
> *
> * http://www.virtulink.com/immp/lookhere.htm
>
> > You do not need web access to participate. You may subscribe through
> email. Send an empty email to one of these addresses:
> tuning-subscribe@onelist.com - subscribe to the tuning list.
> tuning-unsubscribe@onelist.com - unsubscribe from the tuning list.
> tuning-digest@onelist.com - switch your subscription to digest mode.
> tuning-normal@onelist.com - switch your subscription to normal mode.
>

its in the ears, baby! its in the ears!

Yes Ben
while i like your approach
i would like to hear some of yr music
go ahead attempt to astonish me
and by the way since i like your approach so much i think it deserves
****Ben you obviously know absolutely nothing about tuning and should unsubscribe
hahahahahahahahaah
no really
do it
hahahahahahahahahah

>
> > Prove it. Let's hear some of your music. Whip it out.