The high third is 9/7

>From: "Gerald Eskelin" <stg3music@earthlink.net>
>
>John [Link] did some
>experimenting on his guitar regarding the "high third" and will likely be
>posting some interesting findings after he finishes his CD and has the time
>to get back into the list discussions. In general, he experienced the "high
>third" as being considerably higher than Pythagorean. He played it for me
>over the phone (remember those?) and it is indeed the third that I commonly
>hear as the "singer's third."

My CD is not yet finished, but I've decided to go ahead and post my results
now. The high third is 9/7 relative to the root. Here's the experiment I
did with my guitar to confirm that conclusion:

Tune the sixth string to E.

Tune the first string to the double octave of the sixth string.

Tune the second string a perfect fourth below the first string.
Check by matching the harmonic on the second string over the fifth
fret with the harmonic on the first string over the seventh fret.

Tune the harmonic of the fourth string over the fifth fret to the
seventh harmonic of the sixth string (found about one third of the way
back from the third fret toward the send fret).

Tune the fifth string a perfect fourth below the fourth string by
matching the harmonic on the fourth string over the seventh fret with
the harmonic of the fifth string over the fifth fret.

Tune the third string to a just major third above the fourth string
by matching the harmonic on the third string over the fourth fret
with the harmonic on the fourth string over the fourth fret.

When all of the above are simultaneously satisfied, then the third, fourth,
and fifth strings will form a D-major triad tuned 3:4:5. The high third is
found by playing the harmonic on the second string over the seventh fret.

Although I haven't performed Jerry's experiment with singers, I knew that I
had found the high third that he reported here on the tuning list (and also
on page 70 of his book "Lies My Music Teacher Told Me") by playing the
harmonics over the fifth fret on strings 5,4, and 3, in that order, and
thinking (and then singing along) "From this valley" from "Red River
Valley", and then repeating the sequence but replacing the third note with
the harmonic on the second string over the seventh fret. I was even more
strongly convinced by playing the harmonics over the fifth fret on strings
4 and 3, in that order, and thinking (and then singing along) "You can't"
from the Rolling Stones "You Can't Always Get What You Want". I don't have
a recording of that tune but my recollection is that Mick Jagger sang the
9/7 third and not the 5/4.

Surprise, surprise, surprise: major triad tuned 14:18:21! Seven is not just
for the seventh of a dominant 7th chord.

More to come.

John Link

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